News & Events
Croatia Expands Unemployment Benefits to Foreign Workers Through CES
Key Takeaways: Foreign workers without a job in Croatia will be eligible for government benefits if they hold a valid temporary residence permit. These changes were discussed by Croatian politicians as the country is working to attract more foreign workers. Croatia needs workers to maintain its economic growth. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/croatia-expands-unemployment-benefits-to-foreign-workers-through-ces/UK Government Removes Visa-Free Travel for Colombians
The UK has reinstated the visitor visa requirement for Colombian students studying for six months or less, in a move set to impact the ELT sector. The UK government had lifted visitor visa requirements for Colombian nationals in November 2022, enabling them to stay in the country for up to six months without a visa. However, on November 26, 2024, the Home Office announced the reinstatement of this obligation for Colombians. As per the new rules, Colombian visitors, including students, who had booked and paid for a trip to the UK before 3pm GMT on November 26 will be allowed to enter the UK without a visa until 3pm GMT on December 24. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/uk-bound-colombian-students-to-be-impacted-by-new-visa-rules/NZ PM’s 2025 Scholarship Scheme Offers 119 Opportunities in Asia and Latin America
The New Zealand government continues to nurture global connections with its Prime Minister's scholarship program for education experiences abroad. The New Zealand government has announced that 119 recipients have been awarded as part of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship scheme for 2025. The scholarship grants the opportunity to young New Zealand citizens to study and work across Asia and Latin America with financial aid from the government. Some 324 individuals applied for the scheme this year, aspiring to participate in exchanges, medical electives, indigenous integration program, internships, and research projects. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/nz-pms-2025-scholarship-scheme-offers-119-opportunities-in-asia-and-latam/Ireland Processes Record 30,000 Citizenship Applications & Grants Passports to Over 6,000 Foreigners
Key Takeaways: Over 30,00 decisions on Irish citizenship were made in 2024, marking a new record since the figures began to be collected. This year’s figures account for a significant increase compared to last year’s figures. More than 6,000 new Irish citizens from 140 countries worldwide will be granted citizenship in ceremonies of December 2 and December 3. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/ireland-processes-record-30000-citizenship-applications-grants-passports-to-over-6000-foreigners/What Makes Lithuania The World's Happiest Country For Those Below 30?
World Happiness Report, 2024: The World Happiness Report is prepared based on a survey by Gallup where residents evaluate their quality of life. 'The Guardian' has reported that the country provides low rent, free education and a vibrant nightlife. People in Lithuania who were below 30, rated themselves 7.76 out of 10 on the happiness scale. In comparison, the respondents in the US ranked themselveS. Reference Link: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/what-makes-lithuania-the-worlds-happiest-country-for-those-below-30/articleshow/110747089.cms?from=mdrIndian Government Raises Study Visa Fee Increase with Australia
The Indian authorities are working with their Australian counterparts to understand the ramifications of an increase in Australia's study visa fees. With Australia increasing its study visa fees from AUD$710 to AUD$1,600 – a rise of 125% – India has taken up the matter with Australian government authorities. The fee increase, implemented in July 2024, has been discussed with relevant authorities in Australia due to its challenges to students, according to Kirti Vardhan Singh, union minister of state for external affairs. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/indian-government-raises-study-visa-fee-increase-with-australia/Cyprus Revokes 77 More Passports Granted Through Golden Passport Program
Key Takeaways: Cyprus has revoked 77 more passports granted through the Golden Passport Scheme. Among those affected are also Russian oligarch Alexei Kuzmichev, and former FSB investigator Sergey Kovbasyuk. The program was terminated in 2020 following reports of its involvement in irregular affairs. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/cyprus-revokes-77-more-passports-granted-through-golden-passport-program/Spain Has Issued 780 Golden Visas So Far in 2024
Key Takeaways: Spain has issued 780 golden visas to foreign nationals so far in 2024. Over 15,300 persons have benefited from this program, since its launch in 2013. Nationals from China, Russia and the UK benefited the most from this program. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/spain-has-issued-780-golden-visas-so-far-in-2024/Canadian Colleges Saw 30% Int’l Student Growth in 2022/23, Data Reveals.
Newly released data has shown an increase in postsecondary enrolments in Canada in 2022/23, driven by a 16% rise in international students, with the majority attending colleges. International student enrolments at Canadian colleges increased by nearly 30% in 2022/23 while universities saw a 7% rise, new data from Statistics Canada has revealed. In contrast, the number of Canadian students enrolled in colleges and universities declined by 4% and 2% respectively, with international students driving an overall enrolment increase of 0.6%, totalling 2.2 million students across the sector. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/statistics-canada-international-students-drive-growth/Australia’s Boarding Schools Eye India Opportunities
As India's middle class grows and more students look to study abroad, many of Australia’s prominent schools are aiming to attract Indian students by showcasing educational opportunities down under.In their first ever visit to India, this month, a delegation of ten of Australia’s top boarding and day schools visited institutions, agents, government authorities, parents, and students, across the country. The visit, which was organised by AEAS and Acumen and Austrade, comes as Australia debates the ESOS Amendment Bill, which includes plans to cap international student numbers, among other policy changes. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/australias-boarding-schools-eye-india-opportunities/Long Processing Times for Irish Visas Cause Anxiety Among Travel Agencies & Their Clients
Key Takeaways: The long time it takes for authorities to process visa applications is causing distress among travel agents. They complain that processing visa applications takes too long, sometimes up to three months. VFS Global pointed out that these delays are occurring due to an increase in travel demand. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/long-processing-times-for-irish-visas-cause-anxiety-among-travel-agencies-their-clients/Italy Sees Increase in Schengen Visa Applications From Chinese Citizens
Key Takeaways: Italy is registering a high number of visa applications for Chinese citizens. According to VFS Global, Italian visa applications by the Chinese could reach pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. Chinese citizens filed a total of 143648 Italian Schengen visa applications in 2023. Reference Link:https://schengen.news/italy-sees-increase-in-schengen-visa-applications-from-chinese-citizens/Over 33,200 Foreigners Hold Spanish Residency Through Golden Visa Program
Key Takeaways: A total of 33,237 wealthy foreigners hold residency in Spain through the Golden Visa Program. Real estate investment option, attracted the most foreigners interested in acquiring residency in Spain. However, details related to the number of golden visas issued to Russians have not been provided. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/over-33200-foreigners-hold-spanish-residency-through-golden-visa-program/Virtual Reality Breaks Down Barriers to Indigenous Study Abroad
A partnership between Australian and Canadian universities is using virtual reality to break down barriers for Indigenous students seeking study abroad opportunities. The program, which saw 20 Indigenous students from three Canadian institutions visit the University of Wollongong in Australia, is the first to bring together Indigenous mobility experiences and immersive VR technologies. “Only 3% of college students have had an international experience abroad and only 10% at the university level,” said Imad Al-Sukkari, director of international, at Cambrian College, while speaking at the 2024 CBIE conference. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/virtual-reality-indigenous-study-abroad/US Interest in Overseas Education Spikes After Election
Leading study choice platforms are reporting a surge in interest from US students exploring education opportunities overseas, coinciding with Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House. An uptick in post-election traffic to study choice websites may be a signal that students are looking to avoid studying under another Trump administration. On the day following the election results, Study.eu reported a threefold increase in traffic from the US. One week on, traffic remains 45% higher than usual. The traffic surge, split evenly between bachelor’s and master’s degrees, was most pronounced in the seven swing states, followed by other Republican-voting states. “Elections or political decisions often lead to short-lived spikes in regional user interest. But so far, we’ve seen nothing near this magnitude,” said Study.eu CEO Gerrit Bruno Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/us-interest-in-study-abroad-spikes-post-election/UK Survey Reveals Public Support for International Students
Six in 10 people in the UK feel international students bring a significant benefit to the economy, a new study has revealed. A recent study by the Policy Institute at King’s College London has provided insights into public opinion and their support for the number of international students at UK universities. It revealed that the majority of people recognise the significant economic benefits from international students, as well as their role in providing places for domestic students at universities. Some 41% of respondents believe that the benefits of international students outweigh the costs, a figure that is down 10% from 2018. Meanwhile, some 26% say they want fewer overseas students to attend UK universities. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/uk-survey-reveals-public-support-for-international-students/Australia: Cap Distribution Details Unveiled Amid Ongoing Criticism
In Australia, recent Senate Estimates revealed new details on enrolment cap distribution, while critics sharpened their focus on the severe job losses plaguing the sector. On November 7, senior education officials underwent further questioning from the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee regarding the controversial ESOS Amendment Bill, which proposes a cap on international enrolments and introduces other significant changes. Ben Rimmer, the Department of Education’s deputy secretary of higher education, stated that the “law of the land” currently entitles institutions to enrol upwards of their 2025 indicative caps, but “if the legislation is passed in its current form, that will operate from January 1 2025. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/australia-cap-distribution-details-unveiled-amid-ongoing-criticism/Domestic tuition fees rise £285 in UK as international fees remain unchanged
UK education secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced the first uplift in tuition fees for domestic students in England in seven years, while international payments will remain at the same level. Speaking in the House of Commons on November 4, Phillipson revealed that as of April 2025, the maximum cap for domestic tuition fees will rise by £285 to £9,535 per academic year. Tuition fees have been set at £9,250 per year since 2017, with many arguing that universities have become over-reliant on the heftier fees paid by international students to sustain their finances. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/tuition-fees-to-rise-in-england-education-secretary-announces/ENZ looks to Asia amid plans to grow intled sector to $4.4bn by 2027
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) has unveiled ambitious plans to expand the international education sector in the country over the next three years. Its new strategy pivots around growing the economic contribution of the sector to a whopping $4.4 billion by 2027 – largely through enticing more international students to the country. ENZ highlighted key markets across Asia with significant growth potential, stating an aim to spread awareness of New Zealand’s educational offerings in these countries. “In the first year of the strategy, the focus is putting additional investment into markets we have identified with growth potential. These include India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and some specific sectors within markets like Japan and Thailand,” said ENZ acting chief executive Dr Linda Sissons. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/enz-looks-to-asia-amid-plans-to-grow-intled-sector/France expects to house 10k Indian students this year
France is making headway with its "ambitious" plans for 30,000 Indian students to call the country home by 2030, The PIE News has learned. France expects the number of Indian students in the country to reach 10,000 this academic year, consul general of France in Mumbai, Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, told The PIE. “We have 8,000 Indian students in France so far, and we are now pushing to have 9,000-10,000 students in the country this year,” he said at the Choose France Tour’s Mumbai leg this weekend. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/france-expects-to-house-10k-indian-students-this-year/Demanding Visa Requirements Severely Impacting Ireland’s Labour Market
Key Takeaways: Nearly 76 per cent of immigrant construction workers in Ireland need an entry visa and employment permit. Due to bureaucratic procedures, workers take longer to come to Ireland. This is affecting the country’s economy. About eight out of ten overseas construction workers coming to Ireland need both employment permits and an entry visa, causing the market to fall behind. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/demanding-visa-requirements-severely-impacting-irelands-labour-market/Australia seeks deeper educational ties with India amid minister Pradhan’s visit
Indian education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has arrived in Australia for the second Australia-India Education and Skills Council meeting, held today in Sydney.The high-level dialogue is focused on deepening ties between the two nations, emphasising Australia’s research strengths and industry engagement models. The visit also emphasises leading researchers and research centres that have made significant strides in fostering joint research efforts between Australia and India. The discussions will explore expanding partnerships to deliver Australia’s high-quality education in India and address skills gaps through education and vocational training programs. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/australia-seeks-deeper-educational-ties-with-india-amid-minister-pradhans-visit/The Worker Protection Act 2023 – a wake-up call for international education
Upcoming UK legislation will make tackling harassment in the workplace a legal requirement. It's time for the international education sector to take notice, writes Ella Tyler.Tomorrow ( October 26 2024), the updated Worker Protection Act officially comes into force, marking a significant shift in how UK organisations are required to protect their staff from harassment. This legislation places greater responsibility on employers to proactively create safer, more equitable work environments. But while the Act only applies within the UK, its principles and implications extend far beyond national borders. Reference Link :https://thepienews.com/the-worker-protection-act-international-education/Study in France: French govt all set to bring 6th edition of ‘Choose France Tour 2024’ to five major Indian cities
The French Government and Campus France are all set to organise the ‘Choose France Tour 2024’ in five major Indian cities. The tour is aimed at providing options to Indian students to explore options for higher education in France, bringing together over 50 prestigious French universities and higher education institutions that will offer a unique platform to the students and their families to connect directly with academic representatives. Additionally, attendees of the tour will discover a range of study programmes and receive personalised guidance on scholarships, visas, and student life in France, as informed in a press release. It added that high-school graduates and other prospective students can explore numerous academic paths, including specialised programmes in engineering, management, hospitality, arts, architecture, and more. Reference Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/news/study-in-france-french-govt-all-set-to-bring-6th-edition-of-choose-france-tour-2024-to-five-major-indian-cities-101729079617833.htmlGermany to Increase Work Visas for Skilled Indians From 20,000 to 90,000
Key Takeaways: The German Ambassador to India has revealed that his government is planning to issue up to 90,000 visas to Indian skilled workers. These changes are part of new measures to attract more Indian workers. Representatives from both countries are expected to meet and discuss to strengthen the bilateral relationship. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/germany-to-increase-work-visas-for-skilled-indians-from-20000-to-90000/New enhanced digital platform for the European Student Card
The European Student Card (ESC) is getting a new digital platform. The revamped ESC Router will make it easier for higher education institutions to issue ESCs and for mobile students to validate their student status and access student services across the European Education Area. Reference Link: https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/news/new-enhanced-digital-platform-for-the-european-student-cardUK's University of Warwick Unveils £700m Investment, Largest Ever
As part of a £700 million investment, the University of Warwick, a top UK institution will build new research and education facilities, from teaching rooms to laboratories, the university has announced. Facilities, where subjects in social sciences and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) programs will be taught, are set to be built in a former car park at the campus. This is the largest single investment in campus in all the university’s 60-year history, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/uks-university-of-warwick-unveils-700m-investment-largest-ever/US sees continued growth in international applications
Of the 662 US institutions surveyed in IIE’s Spring 2024 Snapshot survey, 53% indicated that international applications were up compared to the previous year, while 30% said that numbers had remained the same and 17% recorded a decrease. Previously, in 2022/23, 65% of institutions recorded a growth, and 61% in 2023/24. “The data suggests that there is a continued need for and commitment to advance diversity in global exchange. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/us-international-applications-grow-iie-report/Australian Catholic University halts 2025 recruitment due to Aussie enrolment cap
A post circulating on LinkedIn appears to show the Australian Catholic University updating its agent partners with information that explains due to the government’s National Planning Level, the university will no longer be offering places for 2025 courses that fall under the proposed caps “Regrettably due to the recent policy updates, the NPL being implemented by the Australian government, and the high demand for ACU programs, we have reached our provider limit for 2025. We will no longer issue offers or acceptances for non-exempt with a 2025 start date, effective immediately,” a letter to agents reads. “We understand that this may be disappointing, and recognise that this is a difficult situation for you and your students. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and look forward to working closely with you to support you in the future.” Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/acu-halts-2025-recruitment-due-to-aussie-enrolment-cap/Canadian institutions seek to regain India interest amid shifting policy landscape
Amid reports of waning interest and a drop in study permits among Indian students, Canadian stakeholders are looking to reshape perceptions of studying in Canada. Though only 2,181 Indian students enrolled in universities across Canada in 2000, that number jumped to a mammoth 128,928 in 2021, a 5800% growth in the last two decades. By 2023, the number of international students in Canada stood at over 4,20,000, according to data released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Indian students made up 49% of all international students in Canada in the first half of 2024, according to government data, a figure that has dropped by half when compared to 2023. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/canadian-institutions-seek-to-regain-india-interest-amid-shifting-policy-landscape/Canada Announces New Limits on International Student Numbers
The Canadian government announced on Wednesday a series of new measures for international students. The government said it will further reduce the number of international student permits by another 10 percent, setting the new target at 437,000 permits for the next two years, down from 485,000 permits in 2024, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link : https://erudera.com/news/canada-announces-new-limits-on-international-student-numbers/US Restricts Study Abroad for F-1 Visa Holders
International students in the US will no longer be able to study abroad for longer than five months as part of what stakeholders believe could be an "unintended consequence" of a new policy change. New policy changes from the US immigration agency state that F-1 visa holders can only participate in study abroad programs shorter than five months in order to maintain their student status in the country. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/us-restricts-study-abroad-for-f-1-visa-holders/Italy to Increase Number of Days When Foreigners Can Apply for Temporary Work Visas
Key Takeaways: Italy wants to increase the number of days foreigners can apply for temporary work visas. The government wants to increase the click days but not change the immigration law. One of the reasons for this measure is related to security and combating misuse of work visas. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/italy-to-increase-number-of-days-when-foreigners-can-apply-for-temporary-work-visas/Top 5 Countries Where Indians Are Highly Likely to Get a Schengen Visa in 2024
Key Takeaways: Iceland was most likely to grant Indians Schengen visas - with an approval rate of 95.4 per cent. Switzerland issued the highest number of visas - a total of 166,919. Germany was most likely to grant Indians Multiple Entry Visas (MEVs), with 99.6 per cent of issued visas being multiple entry. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/top-5-countries-where-indians-are-highly-likely-to-get-a-schengen-visa-in-2024/US Institutions Dominate QS’s Global Business Rankings
US institutions have filled the top four positions in QS’s Global MBA and Business Master’s Rankings 2025, which analysed MBAs from 58 countries. For the fifth consecutive year, Stanford Graduate School of Business’s MBA was named the world’s number one, while the (Penn) Wharton School remains second, followed by Harvard Business School in third. “By providing a detailed comparative analysis, these rankings help prospective students make informed decisions about programs that align with their career goals,” said QS president Nunzio Quacquarelli. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/us-institutions-dominate-qss-global-business-rankings/Canada Further Limits International Student Numbers
Canada is putting further limits on the number of international study permits it issues, reducing study permits to 437,000 in 2025, among more outlined changes to the country's International Student Program. The Canadian government has announced new international student study permits will be reduced by 10% from the 2024 target of 485,000. The intake cap for 2026 will be stabilised, remaining the same as in 2025. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/breaking-canada-further-limits-international-student-numbers/Int'l Student Numbers at Jönköping University Have Risen to Record Levels
The number of international students at Jönköping University (JU), an international university in Sweden, rose to a record high this August, according to figures released by the school. Jönköping welcomed about 3,800 new students to campus, of which 1,145 are international students, the largest number in the university’s history, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/intl-student-numbers-at-jnköping-university-have-risen-to-record-levels/
Kuwait Pushes for Visa-Free Entry to EU
Key Takeaways: The Kuwaiti Foreign Minister has confirmed ongoing talks regarding the Schengen visa liberalisation agreement. The Minister vowed to bring up the topic at the next summit, scheduled for the middle of October in Brussels. Kuwaitis are among the nationalities that are most likely to be approved for Schengen visas for 2023 Reference Link: https://schengen.news/kuwait-pushes-for-visa-free-entry-to-eu/Canadian study permits projected to drop by nearly half
A new analysis of Canadian government figures indicates that the approvals of international study permits are set to drop by nearly half in 2024.With the number of Canadian study permit applications processed by the IRCC dropping by 54% in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023, ApplyBoard has projected that the overall number will drop by 39% this year compared to 2023 in a new report. According to the report, the current trends signal that around 230,000 new study permits will be processed in the second half of 2024. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/canadian-study-permits-projected-to-drop-by-nearly-half/Getting an Italian Visa Is Most Difficult for These Nationalities
Key Takeaways: Bangladeshis are applicants who have the hardest time obtaining an Italian Schengen visa, as their rejection rates are 59.04 per cent. Seven out of ten nationalities are from the African continent. These nationalities have visa rejection rates higher than the average (12.05 per cent Reference Link: https://schengen.news/getting-an-italian-visa-is-most-difficult-for-these-nationalities/Australia’s international enrolments capped at 270k
Australia has announced a cap on new international commencements from next year, favouring publicly funded universities as providers with a higher ratio of international students receive a lower allocation. The industry has called the limit on international students damaging and “a handbrake” on the sector’s growth in response to the announcement made this morning. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/cap-international-students-australia/US Colleges See Rise in Undergrads
The number of undergraduate students in the United States increased by 2.5 percent in the spring semester of 2024, according to the National Student Clearinghouse, a US educational nonprofit. This is the second time undergraduate enrollment has increased after several years of decline amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last fall, undergraduate enrollment grew 1.2 percent, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/us-colleges-see-rise-in-undergrads/Norway Advises Middle East & Pakistan Schengen Visa Applicants Not to Purchase Tickets Before Visa Approval
Key Takeaways: The Norwegian Embassy in the UAE has required applicants from four countries to file Schengen visa applications more than two weeks before the travel date. The authorities also advise applicants not to purchase tickets unless their visa is approved. Currently, applications from the first half of August are being processed. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/norway-advises-middle-east-pakistan-schengen-visa-applicants-not-to-purchase-tickets-before-visa-approval/Finland Planning to Grant Permanent Residency to Master’s Graduates to Retain Talent
Key Takeaways Finland will soon offer permanent residency to master's graduates who pass a Finnish or Swedish language exam. This initiative aims to retain skilled graduates who might otherwise leave the country after their studies and presents a valuable opportunity for international students. In early 2024, Finland processed 9,000 new and 11,700 renewed work-based residence permits. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/finland-planning-to-grant-permanent-residency-to-masters-graduates-to-retain-talent/UK to Allocate £10.5 Million for the Upcoming EU Digital Border System
Key Takeaways: The United Kingdom will provide £10.5 million to prepare for the new EU digital border system. The financial aid will be allocated to the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone, and Eurostar at St Pancras. The new measures come as part of efforts to avoid long queues when EES enters into force. Reference Link : https://schengen.news/uk-to-allocate-10-5-million-for-the-upcoming-eu-digital-border-system/EU & UK to Consider the Option of Opening Youth-Mobility Scheme
Key Takeaways: An unnamed source has revealed that the new UK government might consider improving relations with the EU. The first step could be agreeing to implement a youth mobility programme, allowing the UK and the EU under 30-year-olds to travel and work between the countries freely. UK ministers have denied these claims, saying implementing the scheme with the EU is not on the cards. Reference Link : https://schengen.news/eu-uk-to-consider-the-option-of-opening-youth-mobility-scheme/New Work Permit Rules in France to Become Effective in September
Key Takeaways: French authorities have introduced more stringent rules for immigrants in a bid to address matters regarding foreign workers. The new measures will introduce fines and tighter measures for employers of immigrants. The immigration law aims to improve living conditions for immigrants. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/new-work-permit-rules-in-france-to-become-effective-in-september/Croatia Issuing 20,000 Work Permits Monthly in a Bid to Address Labour Shortage.
Key Takeaways The Croatian Interior Ministry is issuing over 20,000 work permits to foreign workers every month. The decision follows a shortage across different sectors, especially tourism. More permits are being issued from coastal cities, while the capital city has the lowest number of permits granted to seasonal workers. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/croatia-issuing-20000-work-permits-monthly-in-a-bid-to-address-labour-shortage/Visa Restrictions on International Students Will Not Be Lifted Under Labour
Labour has confirmed it will not reverse the Conservatives' restrictive student visa policies, while maintaining its welcoming stance towards international students. Labour’s education secretary Bridget Phillipson has reiterated that the government does “not intend” to lift the visa restrictions on international students imposed by the previous conservative government. When asked in an interview with Sky News if Conservative “visa restrictions” for international students should be reversed, Phillipson replied: “We don’t intend to change that. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/visa-restrictions-will-not-be-reversed-under-labour/20 Jobs That May Open Doors to a Norwegian Work Visa
Key Takeaways Norway is facing labour shortages in over 190 occupations, including cleaning, food preparation, hospitality, healthcare, and construction. Norway emerged among EURES countries with the highest dependency on foreign-trained doctors. The Norwegian language is considered one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/jobs-that-may-open-doors-to-a-norwegian-work-visa/Best Canadian Provinces For International Students To Get PR
Canada remains a top choice for international students seeking high-quality education and potential Permanent Residency (PR). Each province has tailored programs to attract and retain students. This includes Ontario's OINP, British Columbia's BC PNP, Quebec's PEQ, Alberta's AAIP, and Saskatchewan's SINP. These provincial nominee programs offer varied pathways to PR that depend on a field of study and region of choice. For students aiming to secure permanent residency, understanding each province's requirements and opportunities is crucial. Reference Link: https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/canadian-provinces-international-students/?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9hRPi622L3cBTlHNZAvQKZ7qGrZNMZU_yNS5fq_Ezlvyi0sMyjUbvc5i_Cfc4QCUhQ2qd4SAknWFAyGTsvfW90BwALKff5c7AeL-M2whjGtF1J78&_hsmi=318262184&utm_cUNITED STATES: At Least 25 Million Student Loan Borrowers May Receive Debt Relief This Week
The Biden administration is sending emails to tens of millions of student loan borrowers this Friday, notifying the latter about potential debt relief. According to the Department of Education, at least 25 million borrowers could be eligible for loan forgiveness, Erudera.com reports. “STOP SCROLLING. I'm sending 40 million borrowers info on student debt relief this morning," US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/at-least-25-million-student-loan-borrowers-may-receive-debt-relief-this-week/Partners of International Students in New Zealand Can Work in These Sectors
Partners of some international students in New Zealand can work in different sectors, including health and social services, business, engineering, trades, and more, if they qualify for the Partner of Student Work Visa. New Zealand has recently changed its rules regarding the eligibility of international students’ dependents to work in the country. Immigration New Zealand has updated these rules to allow dependents to apply for a work visa with open conditions, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/partners-of-international-students-in-new-zealand-can-work-in-these-sectors/“Be in no doubt” – int’l students welcome in UK, says education secretary
The UK's secretary of state for education has pledged that students from overseas will no longer be treated as "political footballs" as she "set the record straight" on the new government's attitude towards international education. Keir Starmer’s government will move away from the “mixed messaging” of previous administrations and towards a more welcoming attitude towards international students, said Bridget Phillipson, speaking at the Embassy Education Conference on July 23. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/welcome-international-students-uk/US to ease visa processing for graduates with job offers
The Biden-Harris administration in the US has announced actions to speed up visa processing for college graduates who hold job offers, sending a positive signal for prospective international students. The initiative to ease employment-based non-immigrant visas for US college graduates with job offers is aimed at attracting top talent and retaining skilled workers to help the economy. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/us-to-ease-visa-processing-for-graduates-with-job-offers/Switzerland to Allocate €310 Million for Schengen Borders’ Protection
KEY TAKEAWAYS Switzerland will begin contributing to a fund starting from August 1, 2024, to tighten the protection of the Schengen Zone borders. A total of CHF 300 million has been projected for a period between 2021 and 2027, for this purpose. Switzerland said that some of this amount of money will be used to expand border control infrastructure at Zurich Airport. Reference Link :https://schengen.news/switzerland-to-allocate-e310-million-for-schengen-borders-protection/Vienna named world's most liveable city (again) in 2024. These other European cities made top 3
As well as Vienna in poll position, three other European cities made the top 10 in a year when global instability and the cost of living weighed heavily. There are many superlatives you could use to describe Vienna; beautiful, historic, picturesque, cultured. Now, you can add another to the list: consistent. Reference Link : https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/07/21/vienna-named-the-worlds-most-liveable-city-again-in-2024-with-europe-dominating-the-top-3Studying in Germany: Required Amount for a Blocked Bank Account to Increase to €11,904 From September 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS Germany has increased the money students need to have in a blocked bank account by 6.2 per cent. From September 1, 2024, the required amount will increase to €11,904, from €11,208. Experts say the increase reflects the rise in costs of living in Germany. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/studying-in-germany-required-amount-for-a-blocked-bank-account-to-increase-to-e11904-from-september-2024/NZ among top 10 preferred educational destination for Brazilian students
Quality of education at Aotearoa New Zealand's educational institutions is reflected in the latest survey by the Brazilian Educational and Language Travel Association (Belta), presented in May. The survey was conducted between March and April 2024 with students and international education agents from all regions of Brazil. Reference Link: https //www.enz.govt.nz/news-and-research/ed-news/nz-among-top-10-preferred-educational-destination-for-brazilian-students?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_EIQWkYb6VRgrwIuGCt91XpiR1xcmR7MazPpUzR_WaxNyuoaxRrDC21vT8RHt2_LRzd9fryUbfm5tpVqyJtebRUa4KCjv7QWG4s4f2QpwhKydRId8&_hsmi=316271345&utm;_c />316271345&utm_source=hs_emailRecord Migration to Scotland, Levels Attributed to Int’l Student Growth
Net migration figures in Scotland more than doubled within a year, specifically between 2021 and 2022, from 22,200 to 48,800, respectively. In an official statement, the National Records of Scotland (NRS) attributed these levels to an increase in international university students. According to newly published figures from NRS, net migration to Scotland increased by 119 percent between 2021 and 2022, the highest level over the last decade, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/record-migration-to-scotland-levels-attributed-to-intl-student-growth/Canada to Halt Study Permits for Universities Failing to Monitor International Student Enrollment
The Canadian government is planning to halt processing study permits for post-secondary students if institutions do not manage to properly control international student numbers. Additionally, under the proposal, higher education institutions will need to report to the Immigration Department about students’ attendance, and whether the latter are adhering to study permit criteria, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/canada-to-halt-study-permits-for-universities-failing-to-monitor-international-student-enrollment/58% Increase in Residence Permits Issued to Britons Through Greece’s Golden Visa Program
KEY TAKEAWAYS The number of the residence permits granted to Britons increased by 58 per cent in the last 12 months. The UK is now placed in the fourth position in Greece’s list of countries with the highest number of residence permits issued through this scheme. According to the figures from the Ministry of Immigration and Asylum, at least €41 million were invested by Britons for the purchase of houses through the Golden Visa Program in Greece. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/58-increase-in-residence-permits-issued-to-britons-through-greeces-golden-visa-program/Portugal to Bring Back Tax Breaks In Order to Attract Foreigners
KEY TAKEAWAYS Portugal intends to bring back tax incentives for foreigners in order to attract skilled foreigners. The new government made sure to exclude foreigners with a pension from the tax break. Portugal’s golden visas are set to end, the Finance minister confirmed. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/portugal-to-bring-back-tax-breaks-in-order-to-attract-foreigners/Indian students can now apply online for study visas to Poland
India's Polish embassy has introduced a new system for Indian students to submit their study visa applications.As of July 2, Poland-bound Indian students have had to register their study visa applications through the e-consult system. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/indian-students-can-now-apply-online-for-study-visas-to-poland/Irish universities hold pre-departure sessions in India
Prominent universities across Ireland have touched down in India for pre-departure sessions with incoming students, indicating the country's rise as a popular study destination. Representatives from the National College of Ireland, Dublin City University, Technological University Shannon, and Maynooth University are in India to provide support to Indian students to help them adjust to their studies in Ireland, according to education company OneStep Global, which organised the initiative. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/irish-universities-hold-pre-departure-sessions-in-india/Your Chances to Get an Austrian Work Visa Are Higher If You Belong to One of These Professions
KEY TAKEAWAYS During the first quarter of 2024, Austria reported 196,400 job vacancies. With an ageing population, Austria heavily relies on foreign workers, just like the rest of most Western European countries. The current minimum wage in Austria is estimated to start at €1,500 per month. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/your-chances-to-get-an-austrian-work-visa-are-higher-if-you-belong-to-one-of-these-professions/Australia Ends Onshore Visa Hopping From Graduate & Visitor Visas to Student Visas on July 1
KEY TAKEAWAYS Australia will officially put an end to visa hopping on July 1, 2024. Starting July 1, visitor and temporary graduate visa holders will not be permitted to apply for a student visa onshore. This move aims to close loopholes that permit some foreigners to extend their stay in Australia continuously. Reference Link : https://visaguide.world/news/australia-ends-onshore-visa-hopping-from-graduate-visitor-visas-to-student-visas-on-july-1/?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8S-tlsCgQ9uPyThR0GZEmaXGo1KoYXRQEFiZJiF9FUCB-DzQvvNJJRRiYKBbeWKhcVjVgVfCRqN-uXqoRKxQowH8Pa49vit2HhU2H0I4HNtBDfaT4&_hsmi=312408822&utm_c1.4 Billion People Will Have to Apply for an ETIAS Authorisation Before Travelling to EU by Mid-2025
KEY TAKEAWAYS 1.4 billon citizens of over 60 different countries worldwide will need a travel authorisation to enter the 30 EU/Schengen Area countries in 2025. The ETIAS will be launched by the end of the first half of 2025. Travellers will be able to apply for an ETIAS online through its official website or app Reference Link : https://schengen.news/1-4-billion-people-will-have-to-apply-for-an-etias-authorization-before-travelling-to-eu/France’s Travel & Tourism Sector Broke Records in 2023, Aims to Surpass Them This Year
KEY TAKEAWAYS In 2023, the tourism sector of France recorded new highs, thus contributing to its GDP with an aim to reach €246 billion. WTTC has also revealed that France’s Travel and Tourism sector is expected to reach the same levels due to the high interest of international visitors as the Olympic Games approach. By 2034, the sector is predicted to provide employment for 3.4 million people nationwide.London Universities Launch Campaign to Welcome Int’l Students Amid New Policies
Universities in London have launched a campaign to remind international students that they are welcome to study at these institutions. The ‘Study London’ campaign by London Higher, the organization representing the capital’s higher education institutions, comes amid restrictions on international students imposed by the UK government earlier this year, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/london-universities-launch-campaign-to-welcome-intl-students-amid-new-policies/Canada’s Immigration Minister signals that changes are coming to post-study work
Here are the highlights: Canadian immigration officials are consulting with provincial counterparts and peak bodies on reforms to the country’s Post-Graduation Work Permit programme The immigration ministry intends to update the programme to better align it with labour market needs in Canada The nature of the reforms are not yet clear but a recent survey provides some clues, and also some cause for concern Reference Link: https://monitor.icef.com/2024/06/canadas-immigration-minister-signals-that-changes-are-coming-to-post-study-work-rights/Germany Remains Your Best Option for Obtaining a Multiple-Entry Schengen Visa in 2024, Data Show
Germany Remains Your Best Option for Obtaining a Multiple-Entry Schengen Visa in 2024, Data Show KEY TAKEAWAYS Germany has the highest rate of multiple entry visa issuance. Other countries with high rates of multiple entry visa issuance are also Austria, Italy, and Switzerland. At the same time, Germany has a lower visa rejection rate than the EU average and a lower rate than it had in 2022. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/germany-is-your-best-option-for-obtaining-a-multiple-entry-schengen-visa-data-show/Denmark to Implement New Rules for Healthcare Foreign Workers Starting July 1
KEY TAKEAWAYS As of July 1, social and healthcare workers will be added to the Positive List for Skilled Workers. Holders of residence permits under the authorisation program will be exempted from work permits. Among other things, Denmark will grant foreigners up to six months stay for job hunting in the in extension of the authorisation stay. Reference Link : https://schengen.news/denmark-to-implement-new-rules-for-healthcare-foreign-workers-starting-july-1/Italy to Reintroduce Controls at All of Its Borders During G7 Summit in June
KEY TAKEAWAYS Italy is set to introduce border controls at all of its borders during the next summit of the Leaders of the G7 Member States. The temporary controls will last for two weeks, between June 5 and June 18 though the summit will be held from June 13 to 15 only. Currently, Italy also has land border controls with Slovenia, at least until December 18, 2024. Reference Link :https://schengen.news/italy-to-reintroduce-controls-at-all-of-its-borders-during-g7-summit-in-june/Canada set to tighten rules for PGWP linking access to labour market needs
Government is asking stakeholders, should we “grandfather” (protect) students already studying in Canada at time of implementation? Purpose of PGWP calibration is to ensure labour market outcomes linked to education and training Programs of study will be coded to reflect links occupations in long-term shortage and Express Entry eligibility Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/canada-set-to-tighten-rules-for-pgwp-linking-access-to-labour-market-needs/Netherlands records slowest int’l student growth in nine years
The 5.4% rise in international student numbers in the year 2023-24 was the smallest recorded in the Netherlands since 2014 The basis of a four-party right-wing coalition government has been agreed, announcing major cuts to higher education and further international student restrictions Regional differences across the Netherlands mean that some institutions are still trying to attract overseas students and are considering expanding TNE offerings. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/netherlands-slowest-growth/International Students May Soon Have to Pay Higher Tuition Fees in Switzerland
International students studying at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich and Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) may soon face a huge increase in tuition fees. The House of Representatives accepted the proposal to raise fees on Wednesday, May 29, and it has been sent to the Senate for approval. If the proposal is approved, international students will have to pay three times more than domestic students. Reference Link : https://erudera.com/news/international-students-may-soon-have-to-pay-higher-tuition-fees-in-switzerland/Over 226,000 Descendants of Spaniards Have Applied for Spanish Citizenship Since 2022 Under Democratic Memory Law
KEY TAKEAWAYS A total of 226,354 descendants of Spaniards have applied for Spanish citizenship since October 2022. Of all the number of applicants, 110,540 of them have received a positive decision on their application. So far this year, Spain has registered 69,421 requests for citizenship under the Democratic Memory Law. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/over-226000-descendants-of-spaniards-have-applied-for-spanish-citizenship-since-2022-under-democratic-memory-law/Macron arrives in Germany for the first state visit by a French president in 24 years
Germany and France, the EU's largest economies, have long been seen as the driving force of European integration, despite occasional policy differences. For the first time in 24 years, a French president has paid a state visit to Germany. President Emmanuel Macron arrived on Sunday for a three-day trip, intended to emphasise the strong ties between the European Union's leading powers. Reference Link :https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/05/26/macron-arrives-in-germany-for-the-first-state-visit-by-a-french-president-in-24-yearsSector welcomes “Stability” as UK Graduate Route is Retained
Much to the relief of higher education stakeholders and international students, the UK Home Office confirmed on May 23 that the Graduate Route would not be changed or axed, instead vowing to “crackdown” on rogue agents Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/sector-welcomes-stability-uk-graduate-route-retained/Top 5 Schengen Countries With the Highest Number of Short-Term Visa Applications in 2023 & Their Main Source Countries
KEY TAKEAWAYS France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands received most Schengen visa applications in 2023. Altogether, these five countries account for around 70 per cent of the total visa applications filed in the same year. Compared to last year, the number of applications is up by 36.3 per cent, but still down by 39 per cent compared to 2019. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/top-5-schengen-countries-with-the-highest-number-of-short-term-visa-applications-in-2023-their-main-source-countries/Australian Universities Say Certainty & Growth is Needed in Int’l Education
Universities Australia (UA), the peak body for 39 Australian universities, has stressed the need for more “certainty, stability, and growth” in the country’s international education sector. In a recent statement, the organization said that the international education sector serves Australia in many ways, including economically, Erudera.com reports. “We need certainty, stability and growth in a sector that serves the nation in so many ways. Decades of careful and strategic work by universities and the Government has seen Australia grow to be a leading provider of international education. We can’t let this work go to waste,” Universities Australia Chief Executive Officer Luke Sheehy said. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/australian-universities-say-certainty-growth-is-needed-in-intl-education/EU to Increase Schengen Visa Fees by 12% From June 11
KEY TAKEAWAYS Schengen visa fees are set to increase to €90 from June 11. The decision has been revealed by the Slovenian MFA, though the EU has yet to make an announcement. The increase in Schengen visa fees has left applicants and organisations dissatisfied. Reference Link: https://schengen.news/eu-to-increase-schengen-visa-fees-by-12-from-june-11/DAAD awards 316 scholarships in South Asia
In collaboration with Germany’s consulate generals and embassies, the German Academic Exchange Service has awarded 316 scholarships to students across South Asia for the academic year 2024/25. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/news/daad-awards-316-scholarships-across-south-asia/Nationals of These 11 EU Countries Will Be Able to Travel Visa-Free to China Until End of 2025
KEY TAKEAWAYS China has extended visa-free entry for nationals of 11 European Union countries. Nationals of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland will be able to enter China visa-free until the end of 2025. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/nationals-of-these-11-eu-countries-will-be-able-to-travel-visa-free-to-china-until-end-of-2025/Germany Will Double the Number of Annual Work Visas for Western Balkans to 50,000 Fro
KEY TAKEAWAYS Western Balkan workers will have privileged access to the German labour market from June 1. Germany will double the number of visas granted under the Western Balkans Regulation to 50,000. The next registrations for visa appointments can be made from May 7 until May 14. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-will-double-the-number-of-annual-work-visas-for-western-balkans-to-50000-from-june-1/Canada Study Permit Cap: Provinces’ allocation targets for the intake of overseas students finalised
The 2024 study permit target of 236,000 has been approved, resulting in approximately 393,000 applications to be allocated. Canada’s new immigration rules and restrictions imposed on enrolment of international students are finally taking shape. On April 5, Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced the allocation of the national cap across provinces and territories for 2024, along with high-level targets set by IRCC. In January 2024, Canada established a two-year limit on the number of new study permits to regulate the flow of international students into the country. For 2024, the cap was expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023. Reference Link: https://www.financialexpress.com/business/investing-abroad-canada-implements-stricter-rules-for-international-students-study-permit-cap-allocations-for-provinces-finalised-3453675/Germany Saw 419,000 Foreigners on Work Permits at the End of 2023
KEY TAKEAWAYS At the end of 2023, around 419,000 non-EU residents were holding work permits in Germany. About 113,000 EU Blue Card holders were residing in Germany at the end of the same year. Women dominated only in the group of skilled workers with vocational training, while the other areas were dominated by male foreign workers. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-saw-419000-foreigners-on-work-permits-at-the-end-of-2023/International Students in Canada Will Be Allowed to Work Only 20 Hours a Week from May 1
As of May 1, international students in Canada will no longer be allowed to work for more than 20 hours per week off-campus. Since November 2022, some international students in the country have been permitted to work off-campus more than 20 hours per week while studying, and unlimited hours during academic breaks. The policy will expire on April 30, 2024, Erudera.com reports However, the Canadian Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, said on Monday that, beginning in September, international students will be able to work off-campus up to 24 hours weekly during regular academic terms. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/international-students-in-canada-will-be-allowed-to-work-only-20-hours-a-week-from-may-1/Germany Is World’s 5th Best Non-English Speaking Destination for International Workers
KEY TAKEAWAYS Germany holds its position as Europe's leading work destination, ranking fifth globally in the "Decoding Global Talent 2024" report. Job seekers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Türkiye, Pakistan, Hungary, and Ghana find Germany particularly appealing. Financial benefits and job offers are the primary factors driving Germans to consider emigrating for work. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-is-worlds-5th-best-non-english-speaking-destination-for-international-workersUK and India partners launch health academy
King’s College London, together with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Hinduja Foundation UK and P.D. Hinduja Hospital & Medical Research Centre, will establish a Health Partners Academy in Maharashtra. It will deliver King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’ training in clinical and non-clinical short courses, executive education to health professionals in both India and the UK and build research capacity. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/news/uk-and-india-partners-seek-to-improve-healthcare-outcomes/EU Parliament Calls for Revision of Georgia’s Visa-Free Status Following Controversial Bill Pass
KEY TAKEAWAYS EU Parliament has called for the revision of the visa-free travel regime for Georgia. Such a call comes following the reintroduction of a controversial “foreign agents” bill. Gerogia’s Vice PM said that the visa-free travel suspension is improbable. Reference Link :https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-parliament-calls-for-revision-of-georgias-visa-free-status-following-controversial-bill-pass/University of Kent Opens New College for International Students
University of Kent, a public university in England, opened its international college for international students (UK IC) in the Cornwallis building on the Canterbury campus. The vice-chancellor of the University of Kent, Karen Cox, said the move is “bold” and expects it to be a new enriching experience for students at Kent, Erudera.com reports. Cox said she was happy to welcome students from all over the world who have already joined the new college. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/university-of-kent-opens-new-college-for-international-students/NZ government consulting on visa fee rise
Increased fee and levy rates on immigration services are being consulted on in New Zealand, with more information expected later in the year. “The New Zealand government is committed to improving the immigration funding system to ensure it is efficient, self-funding, and sustainable,” said Libby Gerard, manager immigration (border and funding) policy at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. “It’s appropriate that those using and benefiting from the immigration system cover the costs of running it,” she told The PIE. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/nz-gov-consulting-on-increased-fees/Record 78,000 International Students Are Studying in Switzerland This Academic Year
Is Switzerland becoming the new higher education hub for international students? Although the country may still need to become one of the top ten host destinations for international students, official data show that it has been appealing to an increasing number of students over the last few years. The Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reveals that over 78,000 international students are studying at Swiss universities this academic year, Erudera.com reports. Switzerland’s higher education system is built on three pillars: Universities (UNIs) - the traditional higher education institutions. Universities of Applied Sciences (UASAs) - combine university education with professional-oriented programs. Universities of Teacher Education (UTEs) - these institutions provide practice-oriented training. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/record-78000-international-students-are-studying-in-switzerland-this-academic-year/The Europe we want': Italy's Democratic Party launches EU elections manifesto
The Italian opposition is trying hard to cut through in an election cycle where the country's ruling right-wing parties are hoping for major gains. Italy's opposition Democratic Party has launched its European elections manifesto, committing itself to social and climate justice. Held at the Foreign Press Headquarters in Rome, the launch of the manifesto – titled "The Europe We Want" – kicked off the party campaign for the upcoming European elections. The Democratic Party sees itself as an obstacle to Europe's right-wing surge, in which the governing Brothers of Italy and League parties are both major players. Reference Link :https://www.euronews.com/2024/04/16/the-europe-we-want-italys-democratic-party-launches-eu-elections-manifestoPoland Closer to Eliminating Irregularities in Its Visa System
KEY TAKEAWAYS The work of the Working Group on eliminating irregularities in the Polish visa system, is coming to an end. The Working Group was established by the Migration Team's decision. It consists of experts with knowledge and appropriate decision-making competencies. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/poland-closer-to-eliminating-irregularities-in-its-visa-system/EU Reduces Schengen Visa Fee for The Gambia to Standard €80
KEY TAKEAWAYS EU has reduced the Schengen visa fee for Gambians to a standard €80. Since 2022, Gambians have been paying a €120 visa fee. The fee has been reduced to normal amid improved cooperation between The Gambia and the EU. Reference Link :https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-reduces-schengen-visa-fee-for-the-gambia-to-standard-e80/New Zealand sees 59,000 enrol in eight months
Revealing the data on March 20, minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, Penny Simmonds, said that the figures confirm that “international students continue to find New Zealand an attractive education destination. For the university sector with 27,535 students enrolled, where a proportion of learners may study for a number of years, there is a solid base of students from which to grow,” she said. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/new-zealand-sees-59000-enrolments-in-eight-months/Commission rolls out blueprint for European degree
The European Commission has presented a blueprint for a European degree, set to boost learning mobility within the EU and “cut red tape” for universities setting up joint degree programs at all levels.Published on March 27, the plan for the degree paves the way for a new type of joint program, delivered on a voluntary basis at national, regional or institutional level, and based on a common set of criteria agreed at European level. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/commission-rolls-out-blueprint-european-degree/Bulgaria Applies New Visa Rules Since Becoming a Schengen Country: Here’s What You Need to Know
KEY TAKEAWAYS Bulgaria is now applying new visa rules, as of March 31, when it joined the Schengen Area. Travellers holding short-term visas issued by Bulgaria before March 31, can still enter Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus, but not the rest of the Schengen Area countries. Third country nationals can now apply for a Bulgarian visa in 60 locations in nine different world countries. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/bulgaria-applies-new-visa-rules-since-becoming-a-schengen-country-heres-what-you-need-to-know/Bulgaria Will Start Issuing 5-Year Multiple-Entry Schengen Visas to Kuwaitis From March 31
KEY TAKEAWAYS Bulgaria confirms that it will start issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to Kuwaitis from March 31, 2024. Bulgarian Schengen visas will be issued to all those who meet the conditions, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Kuwait, Dimitar Dimitrov, said. Kuwaitis have been called to take care of their Schengen visa applications in advance. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/bulgaria-will-start-issuing-5-year-multiple-entry-schengen-visas-to-kuwaitis-from-march-31/French Airports Push EU for Entry/Exit System Launch Delay
KEY TAKEAWAYS Executives of French airports have urged the EU to delay the launch of the EES. Due to the Paris Olympics, they said that airports will be unable to set up the system in time. Executives asked for the EES to be launched in the first quarter of 2025. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/french-airports-push-eu-for-entry-exit-system-launch-delay/This Is How Many Foreigners Will Be Able to Enter Norway, Slovakia & Germany for Work Purposes in 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS Norway will issue 6,000 residence permits to foreign skilled workers in 2024. Slovakia, on the other hand, will issue around 7,000 national visas for different groups of foreign workers. Germany plans on issuing a maximum of 25,000 work permits to foreigners this year. A separate quota will apply to citizens of Western Balkan countries. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/this-is-how-many-foreigners-will-be-able-to-enter-norway-slovakia-germany-for-work-purposes-in-2024/New Petition Demands Increase in Work Permit Duration for Int'l Students in Canada
A new petition has been presented in the House of Commons of Canada, the elected assembly of the Parliament, asking for an extension of the validity period for Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP). The petition e4454 calls on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to extend the duration of the post graduate work permits for international students in 8-12 month study programs to two years. Similarly, it calls for an extension to five years for students in two-year programs, Erudera.com reports. https://erudera.com/news/new-petition-demands-increase-in-work-permit-duration-for-intl-students-in-canada/Germany Facilitates Visa Rules for Working International Students
KEY TAKEAWAYS Student visa holders are now allowed to work part-time jobs nine months ahead of the start of their academic courses. The same rules apply to apprenticeship applicants, while graduates from a German university will be allowed to change their field of work more easily. German university graduates will be eligible for permanent residency after gaining two years of work experience. Reference Reel: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-facilitates-visa-rules-for-working-international-students/EU Makes It Simpler for Foreign Workers to Obtain Combined Work & Residence Permits
KEY TAKEAWAYS EU will soon make it simpler for third-country nationals to obtain Single Permits. Single Permit applicants will receive their application decision within 90 days maximum. Single Permit holders will be able to change their employer, and those unemployed will have greeted protection. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-makes-it-simpler-for-foreign-workers-to-obtain-combined-work-residence-permits/UAE Foreign Residents Who Need a Schengen Visa Warned of Scammers
KEY TAKEAWAYS VFS Global has warned of scammers all UAE foreign residents who need a Schengen visa to enter the EU. The company advised everyone to apply for a visa appointment on their own. Foreign UAE residents have also been advised to make an appointment in advance to avoid last-minute inconveniences. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/uae-foreign-residents-who-need-a-schengen-visa-warned-of-scammers/Bulgaria to Grant Schengen Visas to Russians From April 1
KEY TAKEAWAYS Bulgarian authorities have announced plans to issue Schengen visas to Russian citizens starting April 1, 2024. The processing time for visa applications will be consistent with other Schengen Zone countries, as confirmed by the TASS agency. Visa-related tasks will be handled by Bulgarian embassy employees in Moscow and the Consulate General in St. Petersburg. Reference Link :https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/bulgaria-to-grant-schengen-visas-to-russians-from-april-1/European ‘Godfathers of wind’ jointly win the ‘Nobel prize’ of engineering
Danish Henrik Stiesdal and British Andrew Garrad have been working on improving wind power for some 50 years - and have split the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering for their roles. The winners of the “Nobel prize of engineering” have been announced - and they are two European pioneers of wind energy. Danish Henrik Stiesdal and British Andrew Garrad - often referred to as the ‘Godfathers of wind’ - share this year’s Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, as a recognition of their critical contributions to the development of wind power. Reference Link: https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/02/07/european-godfathers-of-wind-jointly-win-the-nobel-prize-of-engineeringAiming High: France’s Plan To Attract 500k Int’l Students To Be Gamechanger
France is ambitiously aiming to welcome over half a million international students by 2027, building on a strategy initiated in 2019. Recent data from Campus France shows a 2.6% increase in international student enrollment compared to 2021/22, marking a 17% rise over five years. This milestone would elevate France among the top host countries globally, bolstering its academic landscape and research vitality. To achieve this, France plans to streamline the application process, launch a global communication campaign, and prioritize countries like Morocco, Algeria, China, Italy, and Senegal. Initiatives such as health insurance coverage, consistent tuition fees, and programs like Erasmus+ demonstrate France's commitment to attracting and retaining international talent, solidifying its status as a global hub for higher education and innovation Reference Link: https://www.freepressjournal.in/education/aiming-high-frances-plan-to-attract-500k-intl-students-to-be-gamechangerEU’s Increased Visa Fees to Cost Algerians Over €36 Million
KEY TAKEAWAYS The Schengen visa application fees are set to increase from €80 to €90. This represents an increase of 12.5 percent in visa fees for Algerian nationals. If approved, the increase in visa fees will result in a significant financial burden for Algerian nationals, with their visa fee expenses estimated to reach €36.8 million. The proposed revision of visa fees is attributed to rising inflation in the EU; it was open for feedback by EU Citizens until March. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eus-increased-visa-fees-to-cost-algerians-over-e36-million/Russian Dual Citizens Defy EU Bans by Using Malta & Cyprus Golden Passports to Visit Switzerland
KEY TAKEAWAYS The "Golden Passes" offered by Malta and Cyprus are believed to be a factor for Russians still being able to visit Switzerland despite stringent sanctions. The number of Russians visiting Switzerland plummeted in 2022 and 2023, while a boom in tourists from Malta and Cyprus was noticed. Russian visa application rates are expected to be at a record low in 2023. Reference Link :https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/russian-dual-citizens-defy-eu-bans-by-using-malta-cyprus-golden-passports-to-visit-switzerland/Germany: 2nd Stage of New Skilled Worker Immigration Law Is Effective as of Today
KEY TAKEAWAYS The second stage of the German Skilled Worker Immigration Law has come into force on March 1. Now, foreigners will be able to move to Germany for employment purposes under facilitated rules. Those with two years of experience, nurses, and students will be amongst the main beneficiaries. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-2nd-stage-of-new-skilled-worker-immigration-law-is-effective-as-of-today/Austria & US Introduce New Working Holiday Program for Young Professionals & Students
KEY TAKEAWAYS Young Austrian and US citizens will have the opportunity to work and explore each other’s countries for up to 12 months. Beneficiaries of the working holiday program will not need an additional work permit. Apart from the US, Austria has signed working holiday programs with several countries worldwide. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/austria-us-introduce-new-working-holiday-program-for-young-professionals-students/European universities remain committed to supporting Ukrainian higher education and research after two years of war
Ukrainian higher education institutions and their communities continue to be profoundly affected by the ongoing hostilities marked, on 24 February 2024, by the two-year anniversary of the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine. On this occasion, the European University Association expresses its continued solidarity with Ukraine and its university sector. To date, one invaluable avenue for direct exchange has been EUA’s growing membership in the country: 19 higher education institutions have joined the Association as individual members since February 2022, and the Union of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of Ukraine has become a collective member. Reference Link: https://eua.eu/resources/news/1188-european-universities-remain-committed-to-supporting-ukrainian-higher-education-and-research-after-two-years-of-war.htmlNew French Embassy's scholarship propels Indian students towards excellence in management education
In an effort to provide new opportunities for Indian students, KEDGE Business School, in collaboration with the French Embassy, has introduced "co-financed scholarships.KEDGE Business School has established itself as a significant player in international business and management education. In a noteworthy development last October, the school introduced a co-financed scholarship initiative in collaboration with the Embassy of France in India.Under this scheme, selected students enjoy numerous benefits, including a 20% reduction in tuition fees for programmes like the International Bachelor of Business Administration or MSc/MiM offerings. Additionally, the French Embassy awards a BCS scholarship, providing government scholarship status, social security coverage, assistance in finding affordable accommodation, and waivers for visa and Campus France fees. Reference Link : https://student.kedge.edu/news-student/french-embassy-s-co-financed-scholarship?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter+UP_fev+2024&utm_term=https://student.kedge.edu/news-student/french-embassy-s-co-financed-scholarship&utm_id=320572&sfmc_id=39560416These Are the Most Welcoming European Cities to Visit in 2024
KEY TAKEAWAYS EU destinations dominate three of the top five spots in Booking.com's Traveller Review Awards for 2024. The ranking for this year was made from reviews gathered from over 309 million customers. The world's most welcoming destinations for 2024 include European countries like Greece, Portugal, Switzerland, and France. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/these-are-the-most-welcoming-european-cities-to-visit-in-2024/Indians’ Interest in Applying for Schengen Visas Will Surge This Year, VFS Global Says
KEY TAKEAWAYS A higher number of Indians are expected to apply for Schengen visas this year, exceeding the pre-pandemic levels. VFS Global said that Schengen countries have hired additional staff, and some have increased the number of available slots. Indians are expected not to be subject to long processing times this year. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/indians-interest-in-applying-for-schengen-visas-will-surge-this-year-vfs-global-says/More International Students Apply to UK Universities, Chinese Applicants Lead
Universities and colleges in the United Kingdom have witnessed a 7 percent increase in international student applications for undergraduate programs this year, according to the latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS data show the number of international students seeking admission to a UK university totaled 115,730 by the January deadline, Erudera.com reports. The highest increase was recorded in Chinese students (910 more students), followed by Turkey (37 percent, +710) and Canada (14 percent, +340 students). https://erudera.com/news/more-international-students-apply-to-uk-universities-chinese-applicants-lead/EU Commissioner to Ask British Government to Ease Visa Procedures & Lower Visa Costs for Scientists
KEY TAKEAWAYS Iliana Ivanova, the EU Commissioner, is set to ask the UK government to ease visa procedures and reduce visa costs for scientists in order to fully benefit from the Horizon programme. Visa issues and high costs may jeopardise the UK's participation in Horizon, a vital EU funding programme for research and innovation, with an allocated fund of €93 billion. Last year, the British government warned that the NHS surcharge for skilled visa holders to the country’s health system would increase - from €730 to €1,212, while a 15 per cent increase in costs for visas has also become effective this month. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-commissioner-to-ask-british-government-to-ease-visa-procedures-lower-visa-costs-for-scientists/Over 651,000 People Became German Citizens Within 5 Years
KEY TAKEAWAYS A total of 651,495 people acquired German citizenship between 2018 and 2022, with the majority of those coming from Turkiye, Syria and the United Kingdom. Romanians, Poles, and Italians were among the top ten nationalities that became German citizens during this period, in addition to Iraqis, Iranians, Kosovans, and Ukrainians. Naturalisations increased by half in this five-year period, from 112,000 in 2018 to over 651,000. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/over-651000-people-became-german-citizens-within-5-years/Women Represent 41% of EU Science & Engineering Workforce, Eurostat Report Reveals
KEY TAKEAWAYS In 2022, the EU recorded nearly 7.3 million women scientists and engineers. This group now accounts for 41 per cent of the total science and engineering workforce across the EU. Denmark, Lithuania, and Bulgaria top the list with the highest percentage of women in these roles. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/women-represent-41-of-eu-science-engineering-workforce-eurostat-report-reveals/200,000 French students to benefit from the rollout of MIA, an AI-powered revision app
MIA, an AI-powered app to revise literature and mathematics, will be rolled out to the French lycée students in later this year. Students in French lycées will be able to use a new educational tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to help revise literature and mathematics. The app - called “Modules interactifs adaptatifs,” or MIA - was created by EvidenceB, a French EdTech start-up. Reference Link: https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/02/01/200000-french-students-to-benefit-from-the-rollout-of-mia-an-ai-powered-revision-appDutch Education Council Suggests Govt to Reconsider Plans to Reduce Int’l Student Numbers
The Education Council of the Netherlands said that the government should reconsider its plans to reduce the number of international students at Dutch universities. The council said the government needs to especially review the measures to reduce the use of English language at Dutch education institutions, Erudera News reports. Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf sought advice from the council on the proposal before the latter made these recommendations. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/dutch-education-council-suggests-govt-to-reconsider-plans-to-reduce-intl-student-numbers/Thailand Continues to Push for Schengen Visa Exemption.
KEY TAKEAWAYS Thailand wants to start Schengen visa exemption talks once it reaches an agreement with the neighboring countries. The agreement would enable EU tourists holding a visa from one of these countries to enter the others without the necessity of applying for a separate visa. Thai authorities say that it is important that the country’s citizens get to enter the Schengen Area visa-free. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/thailand-continues-to-push-for-schengen-visa-exemption/Bulgaria Names Street ‘Nomad Place’ in Bid to Attract More Digital Nomads
KEY TAKEAWAYS A street in Semkovo, Bulgaria, has been officially named "Nomad Place" by the Ministry of Tourism and the municipality of Belia. The street is named after Coliving Semkovo, a place where digital nomads reside, located at "Nomad Place 1." The initiative reflects Bulgaria's commitment to innovative tourism strategies and embracing the growing trend of digital nomadism, as seen with the introduction of the Digital Nomad visa. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/bulgaria-names-street-nomad-place-in-bid-to-attract-more-digital-nomads/International Graduate Elected Mayor of UK City
Leeds is the UK’s fourth largest city and second largest civic authority serving a population of over 800,000 people. It is a major study destination with four universities and several colleges within the city limits. A graduate of the University of Leeds, Abigail Marshall-Katung came to the UK to study politics in the year 2000. Reference Link :https://thepienews.com/news/international-graduate-elected-mayor-of-uk-city/Estonia Attracts Surging Numbers of International Students
Estonia is witnessing a surge in international students from non-EU countries, drawing the attention of thousands, new figures have revealed. Following the Estonian Internal Security Service’s (ISS) statement that international students tend to discontinue education at Estonian universities quickly, data collected by ERR News, the English-language news outlet of Estonian Public Broadcasting, reveals a contrasting picture, showing the dropout rate is less than 10 percent. The number of international students in Estonia increased by 20 percent between 2020/21 and 2021/2022 academic years, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/estonia-attracts-surging-numbers-of-international-students/Germany to Need Additional 280,000 to 690,000 Nursing Professionals by 2049
KEY TAKEAWAYS Germany is expected to deal with sharp labour shortages in the next years. In the worst-case scenario, the country anticipated to need 690,000 nursing staff by 2049 Germany is already making efforts to recruit foreign nursing staff. Due to the ageing population, Germany is expecting to see a substantial shortage of nursing staff, with projections indicating that the country will need 280,000 to 690,000 additional nurses by 2049. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-to-need-additional-280000-to-690000-nursing-professionals-by-2049/Best Universities in Germany to Study Science, Technology, Engineering & Math for 2024
Germany holds an important position among leading countries in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. As a result, there is a significant demand for STEM skills in the country. Students wishing to study STEM programs at German universities have the chance to explore numerous programs that are available at more than 400 universities in Germany. Data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) indicate a total of 1,078,042 students enrolled in STEM courses at German education institutions during the 2022/23 academic year, of which 349,226 women, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/best-universities-in-germany-to-study-science-technology-engineering-math-for-2024/International Road Transport Union Calls on EU Commission to Tackle Disruptive Border Delays
KEY TAKEAWAYS Bulgaria and Romania's efforts to combat irregular migration as they seek accession to the Schengen Zone have sparked concerns from the IRU. The organisation asserts that these measures disproportionately impact goods transport and trade. IRU called on the EC to support the free intra-EU transport of goods and efficient truck flows across internal and external EU borders. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/international-road-transport-union-calls-on-eu-commission-to-tackle-disruptive-border-delays/Hungary to Restrict Visas for Foreign Temporary Workers
KEY TAKEAWAYS Hungary will limit the number of visas issued to non-EU temporary workers. The Hungarian Ministry of Economy said that this year, the country will issue a maximum of 65,000 visas to foreign temporary workers. Hungary will also ban foreign workers from taking up jobs in certain sectors. The Hungarian Ministry of Economy has said that the country will restrict the number of work visas issued to foreign temporary workers. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/hungary-to-restrict-visas-for-foreign-temporary-workers/German Parliament Approves Law That Makes It Easier to Gain German Citizenship
KEY TAKEAWAYS The German parliament has approved the New Citizenship law, which will make it possible for more foreigners to become German citizens. Throughout the plenary, the CDU/CSU introduced a motion to halt the intended changes, which was rejected. The law will make it possible for Germans to have dual citizenship, amongst others. In a significant move to modernise nationality laws, the German Bundestag approved a draft law today, on January 19, that makes it easier for individuals to gain German citizenship. The draft, received the needed support with 382 votes in favour, 234 against, and only 23 abstentions Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/german-parliament-approves-law-that-makes-it-easier-to-gain-german-citizenship/More Than 36,000 European Youngsters Receive Free Rail Passes to Explore Europe
KEY TAKEAWAYS 36,319 youngsters from Europe will be awarded free travel passes to discover Europe. The free travel passes are distributed through the DiscoverEU initiative. Youngsters from Spain submitted and received the highest number of passes. A total of 36,319 young Europeans of the age of 18 will receive a free travel pass that will permit them to explore Europe, learn about its history and cultural heritage, and connect with other youngsters from the continent. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/more-than-36000-european-youngsters-receive-free-rail-passes-to-explore-europe/UK sector gears up to protect post-study work Graduate visa
Advocates for the UK’s Graduate visa are gearing up efforts into protecting the post-study work right opportunity for international students ahead of a review into the scheme. The government announced a review into the two-year visa option for international graduates to “prevent abuse” and “protect the integrity and quality of the UK’s outstanding higher education sector” in early December. The Migration Advisory Committee is expected to continue the review of the route into ‘late 2024’, after first focusing on an Immigration Salary List review in the first quarter of the year Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/news/uk-sector-gears-up-to-protect-post-study-work-graduate-visa/France implements stricter immigration measures for int’l students, workers
The French government has approved substantial changes to the country’s immigration laws, bringing in more stringent regulations affecting international students and foreign workers. Regarding student visas, applicants will now be required to submit a refundable deposit at the time of application, with the amount still unspecified. The deposit will be returned upon the expiration of the residence permit, its renewal, or the acquisition of another permit due to a change in circumstances. It may also be definitively withheld if the foreigner evades the execution of a removal decision, except in cases involving low-income individuals or those with exceptional academic achievements. Reference Link: https://msmreporter.com/france-implements-stricter-immigration-measures-for-intl-students-workers/UK Implements Visa Rules for International Students' Dependents
International students in the United Kingdom will no longer be permitted to bring dependents while on their student visa, except for those enrolled in research postgraduate programs. New restrictions were announced in May 2023 by former British home secretary Suella Braverman and became effective on January 1, 2024, Erudera.com reports. "The UK is a top destination for the brightest students to learn at some of the world's best universities. But we have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of student dependents being brought into the country with visas," Braverman said when introducing the measures. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/uk-implements-visa-rules-for-international-students-dependents/Foreign Carers in Malta Will Soon Need to Obtain a Skills Card for Elderly Care
KEY TAKEAWAYS Malta will start requiring foreign carers to obtain a skills card to be able to take care of the elderly in the country. The skills card will ease the procedures for hiring foreign carers for the elderly. The introduction of the skills card for foreign carers will be made in March of this year. Foreign carers who are hired in Malta to take care of the elderly will soon be required to obtain a skills card in order to work in the sector. Reference Link:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/foreign-carers-in-malta-will-soon-need-to-obtain-a-skills-card-for-elderly-care/France Imposes Deposit Requirement for Non-EU Student Visa Candidates
KEY TAKEAWAYS French government introduces a deposit requirement for student visa applicants from non-EU countries. The measure aims to provide a financial layer for students, but it has received mixed reactions from those affected. The amount can be refunded, but it will be withheld if the applicant fails to comply with the departure conditions. France has introduced a deposit requirement for non-EU student visa applicants, which is supposed to cover expenses during their potential stay. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/france-imposes-deposit-requirement-for-non-eu-student-visa-candidates/Starting Today, Kosovars Can Travel Visa-Free to Schengen Zone
KEY TAKEAWAYS Kosovars can travel visa-free to the EU's Schengen Zone, marking the conclusion of an eleven-year process. The first visa-free flight for Kosovars left today at 8:00 am. In April 2023, the EU adopted visa-free travel for Kosovo’s passport holders. Starting today, Kosovars will enjoy visa-free travel for short-term stays to EU’s Schengen Zone countries, marking the finalisation of an eleven-year-long process. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/starting-today-kosovars-can-travel-visa-free-to-schengen-zone/Postgraduate students in the UK report higher satisfaction levels than domestic peers
Non-EU overseas postgraduate students have indicated higher levels of satisfaction with their degrees compared to domestic students, as per the findings of Advance HE’s Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey 2023. The research, based on responses from nearly 84,000 postgraduate-taught students in 101 institutions across the UK, disclosed that course satisfaction levels among non-EU overseas students have consistently risen and now surpass those of UK students by a considerable margin. Reference Link: https://msmreporter.com/postgraduate-students-in-the-uk-report-higher-satisfaction-levels-than-domestic-peers/Czech Universities Oppose Tough Rules in International Student Visa Program
Higher education institutions in the Czech Republic have strongly opposed the new tough rules introduced by the government in the Czech Republic’s student visa regime, a program that facilitates visa procedures for selected international students. Local media reports say that the Czech Council of Higher Education Institutions, citing a resolution passed in early December, says that restrictions on schools’ access to the program hinder universities’ efforts for internationalization in an unjust way. The reasons for exclusion were mentioned in a statement issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture in the Czech Republic earlier in December, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/czech-universities-oppose-tough-rules-in-international-student-visa-program/Portugal Offers Salary Bonuses for Graduates Remaining in the Country
Students earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree from higher education institutions in Portugal (public or private) and who stay to work in the country, from now on will receive salary bonuses, the Portuguese government has announced. The decision on this innovative program, first introduced by Prime Minister António Costa in September, was formally released on December 28, 2023, on the pages of Diário da República, the official gazette in Portugal. According to a press release issued by the government on December 28, 2023, under the new regulation, only bachelor’s or master’s degree holders who are residents of Portugal will be eligible for bonuses, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/portugal-offers-salary-bonuses-for-graduates-remaining-in-the-country/Foreigners Will Soon Be Able to Obtain a Single EU Work & Residence Permit
KEY TAKEAWAYS Non-EU workers will be able to obtain a single work and residence permit soon. A common set of rights will apply to non-EU workers once revised legislation is adopted. The revised legislation will establish streamlined application procedures to facilitate recruitment. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/foreigners-will-soon-be-able-to-obtain-a-single-eu-work-residence-permit/VFS Global Will Continue to Provide Visa & Residence Permit Services for Norway in 52 Countries
KEY TAKEAWAYS VFS Global will continue to accept visa and residence permit applications on behalf of Norway in 52 countries. VFS Global has been offering services for Norway since 2014. Some countries where VFS Global will continue to offer services for Norway are Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/vfs-global-will-continue-to-provide-visa-residence-permit-services-for-norway-in-52-countries/EU Reveals Name of New Digital Schengen Visa Application Platform – Says Transition Will Take Up to 7 Years
KEY TAKEAWAYS The platform for applying for a digital Schengen visa will be called the EU Visa Application Platform (EU VAP). The transitioning period from traditional in-person application procedures, to online will last for several years. Member States will be able to choose to opt out from using the platform, and continue issuing visas in the traditional form. The European Commission has moved towards the implementation of the Schengen visa digitalisation, by publishing the amendments made to its regulations on Schengen visas and freedom of movement of third-country nationals within the border-free zone. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-reveals-name-of-new-digital-schengen-visa-application-platform-says-transition-will-take-up-to-7-years/Concerns Mount Over UK Education as PISA Tests Reveal Alarming Decline
The recent findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment tests, gauging the educational proficiency of 15-year-olds across nations, have sparked significant apprehension over the state of education in the United Kingdom. The 2022 results underscore a noteworthy deterioration in core skills subjects within the UK, with mathematics and reading proficiency hitting their lowest points in over a decade. This decline starkly mirrors the profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on learning outcomes and educational standards. Reference Link: https://msmreporter.com/concerns-mount-over-uk-education-as-pisa-tests-reveal-alarming-decline/?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=286364941&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8PHJuKfRAlOMOPtAY8vBT2JbuX6cAIf6Rmr2LkjVrQa1xppFuL1eNX50tgMGY7hWrFlgZS_A1Zaszqbs_iDaf-br51cNXCnub9eT2boYUYqX0Cv6U&utm_cIrish Universities Get €33.4m to Boost Knowledge Transfer System
The KT Boost programme will support offices in universities across Ireland to boost the sharing of information and ‘bring more Irish ingenuity to the world’. A four-year funding programme has been launched to improve the commercialisation of research projects and improve Ireland’s knowledge transfer sector. The €33.4m fund – called KT Boost – was announced today (7 December) by Enterprise Ireland and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney, TD. The programme is designed to help Irish universities and technological universities (TUs). Reference Link: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/innovation/ireland-knowledge-transfer-fund-kt-boost-enterprise?utm_medium=email&_hsmi=286364941&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8SbuNx7zuMMwIq2ypgzaKH7XiGHjzgiNPhZWjlRSlOoCVwsc5a0kLHLWwrEMY9MPEaWwMfjfq4T36iDpRm1eXb4qKoJlq8nDH991EVQtDiVo6YRz8&utm_cMunich Is the Best German City for International Students, New Ranking Reveals.
Munich has secured the spot as the best German city for international students in 2024, with a score of 53.2, a new unique ranking has revealed.According to a study conducted by Studying-in-Germay.org, the capital of Bavaria, which has 20 universities and is home to a total of 55,291 international students, is the safest city in Germany.Other attributes such as the good quality of life and its healthcare system add to Munich’s allure and rank it as the best city in Germany for international students, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/munich-is-the-best-german-city-for-international-students-new-ranking-reveals/Switzerland Adapts Laws for Digitalisation of Schengen Visa Application
* KEY TAKEAWAYS Switzerland has opened a consultation on the digitalisation of Schengen visa applications. The country said it will amend its laws to allow digital visa applications once the system becomes effective. The procedures for applying for a Schengen visa are planned to go completely online by 2028. The Swiss Federal Council has decided to initiate consultations on the digitalisation of Schengen visas. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/switzerland-adapts-laws-for-digitalisation-of-schengen-visa-application/Erasmus+ Program Supported Over 1.2 Million Students & Teachers in 2022
Erasmus+, the EU’s program for education, training, youth, and sport in Europe, enabled academic mobility of more than 1.2 million students, learners, professors, teachers, trainers, and youth over the past year, the 2022 edition of the Erasmus+ Annual Report has shown. Data presented by the EU Commission during the 6th European Education Summit also showed that Erasmus+ supported 26,000 projects throughout the year, benefiting over 73,000 organizations, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/erasmus-program-supported-over-12-million-students-teachers-in-2022/Munich Ranks Best City in Germany for International Students, Berlin 6th on List
Munich is currently the best city in Germany for international students, according to new research. The study conducted by Studying-in-Germany.org, the largest resource for international students seeking information about studying and living in Germany, found that Munich, home to nearly 55,300 international students, has been ranked the best student city in Germany with a total score of 53.2. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/munich-ranks-best-city-in-germany-for-international-students-berlin-6th-on-list/France Introduces Discounted Summer Train Fares to “Help Locals & Tourists Save Money
Authorities in France have announced discounted summer train fares in order to help holidaymakers as well as locals to save money. The decision has been confirmed by France’s Minister of Transport Clément Beaune, SchengenVisanfo.com reports. According to a Euronews report, earlier this month, a total of 200,000 French train tickets were sold at the fixed price of €19. The same notes that until August 27, a large number of regional express train services in the coastal region of Hauts-de-France are €1. Reference Link:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/france-introduces-discounted-summer-train-fares-to-help-locals-tourists-save-money/Spain Wants to Hire More Foreign Drivers Amid Ongoing Labour Shortage
KEY TAKEAWAYS Spain is currently dealing with a significant worker shortage in the transport sector. To remedy the situation, some ministries have decided to work together on facilitating immigration rules for foreign workers. Around 20 per cent of transport companies are in need of professional truck drivers. Spain is currently facing labour shortages in the transport sector and is actively seeking additional foreign drivers to address this issue. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/spain-wants-to-hire-more-foreign-drivers-amid-ongoing-labour-shortage/Reduced Cost: Germany’s Student Deutschlandticket Drops to €29.4 Next Summer Semester
An agreement between the federal and state governments on a nationwide ticket for students in Germany, regardless of their origin, has paved the way for the latter to travel across the country at a lower price. About 2.9 million students in Germany, including international and local ones, will be able to access the Deutschlandticket, shortly known as D-Ticket, at a price of €29.40, starting from the next summer semester in 2024, commencing in April, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link: https://erudera.com/news/reduced-cost-germanys-student-deutschlandticket-drops-to-294-next-summer-semester/Sweden Planning to Introduce ID Checks for Travellers to the Country
KEY TAKEAWAYS Sweden wants to reintroduce ID checks for travellers to the country by bus, train, or ship. Such a measure is being considered to maintain order and security. The measure is expected to enter into force on March 1, 2024. In an effort to maintain order and security in the country, the Swedish government is considering a new law that would permit the reintroduction of identity checks during transportation by bus, train, or passenger ship to Sweden from another country. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/sweden-planning-to-introduce-id-checks-for-travellers-to-the-country/Austria to Release New More Secure Passport This December
KEY TAKEAWAYS Starting next month, Austrian citizens can apply for the new “contemporary and citizen oriented” passport. The new Austrian passport includes advanced identity protection and anti-forgery features. Citizens will not have to pay any additional fees to get a new Austrian passport. Austria will release the new generation of its passport next month, aiming to make it one of the most modern and safest passports in the world. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/austria-to-release-new-more-secure-passport-this-december/Turkish students prefer Eastern Europe for affordable higher education
The universities in Eastern Europe have recently witnessed a rising demand from Turkish students seeking to receive university education abroad as these universities offer more affordable opportunities compared the ones in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. According to the International Education Consultants Association, the most preferred destinations for Turkish students seeking university education in Europe are Poland, Hungary and Czechia. Reference Link: https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-students-prefer-eastern-europe-for-affordable-higher-education-185168German leader appeals to int’l graduates
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said international graduates of Germany’s higher education system will help to “successfully” develop the country’s economy. Speaking at Gisma University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam, Scholz said it was “inspiring to see how many students from around the world come to Germany and wish to work here afterwards”. “We need these young and well-qualified men and women for the successful economic development of our country,” he said. The visit to the GUS-owned institution allowed the chancellor to discuss challenges international professionals face in Germany with students. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/german-chancellor-appeals-to-international-grads/Luxembourg to bring in school integration plan
A new initiative will be implemented this summer aiming to improve the integration process for international students as they join Luxembourg’s school system. The Service for Integration and Admission in School initiative will serve as a comprehensive resource for families arriving in Luxembourg to familiarise themselves with the local education system. Before relocating to the European country, parents will be able to contact the SIA for information about available schooling options and gather information about the students’ academic history. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/luxembourgs-resource-to-easily-integrate-foreign-students-in-schools/EU Council Gives Green Light to Online Schengen Visa Applications
Summary EU Council adopted new rules that allow people who plan to travel to the Schengen Area to apply online for a visa. Application will be made through a single EU visa application platform. Current visa sticker will be replaced with a cryptographically signed barcode. The Council of the European Union has given the green light to the digitalisation of the visa application procedure for those planning to travel to the Schengen Area. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-council-gives-green-light-to-online-schengen-visa-applications/42% of EU’s Youth Attain Tertiary Education, Eurostat Reveals
In 2022, 42 per cent of the EU’s 25-34 age group achieved tertiary education, highlighting the EU’s commitment to higher learning, reported Eurostat. The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 (NUTS 2) statistics reveal that out of the available data, 72 regions, constituting 30 per cent of all EU regions, met or surpassed the European Union’s established policy target of 45 per cent in this area, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. At the very top of the list, the Lithuanian capital region had an impressive 73.6 percent of its young population with a tertiary level of education. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/42-of-eus-youth-attain-tertiary-education-eurostat-reveals/Romania Calls for Extraordinary Meeting for Schengen Enlargement in December
The Prime Minister of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, told Bloomberg that he plans to ask the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to schedule an extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council in December this year in order to discuss Romania’s candidacy to the EU’s Schengen Zone. Romania’s PM said that his country could consider decoupling from Bulgaria in case negotiations do not lead to good results, in spite of the fact that such a process is technically difficult, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “It is very difficult for me to accept that Austria benefits from the European Sky Shield initiative, even though it is a neutral country, while we allocate 2.5 per cent of GDP to defence,” Marcel Ciolacu. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/romania-calls-for-extraordinary-meeting-for-schengen-enlargement-in-december/New Train Line Between Lithuania’s & Latvia’s Capital Cities to Be Launched This December
The Lithuanian Railways Group’s company, LTG Link has recently announced that the inaugural journey for the Vilnius-Riga rail link is set to start on December 27 this year, with the warning that the dates may be modified. The company also revealed that the train service is set to make stops at key locations, including Vilnius, Kaišiadorys, Šiauliai, Joniškis, Jelgava, and Riga, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. In this regard, the vice-minister of transport and communications, Loreta Maskaliovien?, expressed optimism about the decision, emphasising the potential for further enhancements. She also noted that the company’s intention is for the Vilnius–Riga route to be complemented in the future with a connection to Tallinn. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/new-train-line-between-lithuanias-latvias-capital-cities-to-be-launched-this-december/Portugal Allocates €70 Million for Higher Education Accommodation
The National Plan for Higher Education Accommodation in Portugal will receive an investment of €70 million, with the primary goal of reinforcing support for higher education institutions in response to the rising construction expenses experienced over the past year, Portugal’s government has revealed. According to the government, adjustments in the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) have made it possible to increase the budget for building and renovating student residences from the original amount of €447 million to a new total of €517.4 million, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-allocates-e70-million-for-higher-education-accommodation/Germany Adopts First Part of New Skilled Worker Law This Month
This month, the first new regulations that aim to make it easier for foreign-skilled workers to emigrate to Germany will enter into force. Taking into account the labour shortages that the country has been facing, the German government decided to reform the Skilled Immigration Act, which will become effective through different stages, with some changes entering into force this month and some others in 2024. As the German government explains, the reform will reduce the legal hurdles for skilled workers with professional qualifications and university graduates who are not citizens of the EU, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-adopts-first-part-of-new-skilled-worker-law-this-month/Demand for IT Specialists to Increase in Europe, Eurostat Representatives Say
IT specialists and occupations in this sector are expected to be in high demand in the upcoming years, as they already are, representatives from Eurostat, the EU Office for Statistics, said in the latest webinar for job skills. In a series of questions asked by participants, representatives, such as statistical officers for methodology and analysis, ICT statistics, as well as those that handle labour market and lifelong learning, pointed out that IT specialists are expected to be in demand in the 2030ies and 2040ies, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/demand-for-it-specialists-to-increase-in-europe-eurostat-representatives-say/New Danish Law Mandates 37-Hour Workweek for Social Support Beneficiaries
The Danish government recently approved a law requiring individuals receiving social support benefits to engage in internships and employment programmes for 37 hours weekly. In a statement issued on October 13, the European Commission said that this requirement applies to residents with less than nine years of residence in the country or those with less than 2.5 years of full-time employment in the past decade, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/new-danish-law-mandates-37-hour-workweek-for-social-support-beneficiaries/Germany Making It Easier for Skilled Foreign Workers to Move to the Country
The German authorities have said that they are moving on with the plan to facilitate some immigration measures so that foreign skilled workers can more easily move to the country for work purposes. Just recently, the German government announced that it is easing some of its rules, stressing that the earning limit for the Blue Card will be lowered. Moreover, the government noted that as part of its plan to make it easier for skilled workers to move to the country, the authorities are also introducing an opportunity card with a points system and are also facilitating the rules for those with professional experience and for those holding a degree, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-making-it-easier-for-skilled-foreign-workers-to-move-to-the-country/All You Need to Know About EES & ETIAS Following New Confirmed Timeline
The European Union just recently endorsed a new timeline for the launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), saying that the two systems won’t become operational this year. In line with the new timeline, the Council of the EU said that the EES will enter into force in the autumn of next year, and ETIAS will enter into operation in the spring of 2025, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The new roadmap for the delivery of the new IT architecture foresees that the Entry/Exit system will be ready to enter into operation in Autumn 2024 and that ETIAS will be ready to enter into operation in Spring 2025. - EU Council Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/all-you-need-to-know-about-ees-etias-following-new-confirmed-timeline/A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS SIGNED BETWEEN EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY AND THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES WÜRZBURG-SCHWEINFURT UNIVERSITY
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between European University and the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt University. The agreement aims at supporting joint research and educational projects and facilitating student as well as academic/administrative staff mobility. The Technical University of Applied Sciences is the largest HEI in relevant fields of study across the region of Bavaria. The University executes the project under the title of "Hochschule Dual", which grants students with an exceptional opportunity to implement theoretical knowledge into real-life circumstances through professional practice. It is noteworthy, that Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt University is a second partner institution in Germany for European University. Reference Link: https://eu.edu.ge/en/news/2222-memorandum-understanding-was-signed-between-european-university-and-technical-university36,000 Youngsters Born in 2005 Can Now Apply for Free Travel Passes to Discover Europe
A total of 36,000 young people born in 2005 can now apply for a free travel pass to discover Europe under the DiscoverEU Programme The Commission launched the DiscoverEU autumn call on October 4, and this application round will end on October 18, meaning that youngsters will have two weeks time to apply for free travel passes. In order to win a free travel pass for Europe, youngsters need to apply on the European Youth Portal, where they are required to answer five quiz questions and one tiebreaker question, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/36000-youngsters-born-in-2005-can-now-apply-for-free-travel-passes-to-discover-europe/Portugal Accelerates Recognition of Foreign Medical Degrees
Portugal has decided to speed up the recognition of medical degrees issued by foreign higher education institutions. Announcing the news, the Portuguese government said that all those who hold medical degrees issued by foreign institutions will have access to a “special recognition regime” aimed at hiring doctors for the country’s National Health Service, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The decision of Portugal to accelerate the recognition of foreign medical degrees comes amid the ongoing work shortage that the country is experiencing in the healthcare sector. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-accelerates-recognition-of-foreign-medical-degrees/IE University in Spain Europe’s most diverse – QS
European universities with the continent’s highest diversity of international students have been identified in the inaugural QS Europe University Rankings, with institutions in Spain, Poland and Switzerland taking the top three spots. IE University in Segovia, Spain, was ranked top in the international student diversity category, followed by Vistula University in Warsaw, Poland, and EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland. Other universities with the highest ratios of student nationalities are Poland’s University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Cyprus’s University of Nicosia and the University of Luxembourg. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/ie-in-spain-europes-most-diverse-university-qs/Finnish Government Wants to Impose Tuition Fees on Non-EU Students
The National Coalition Party (NCP), which is the party of the Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo, wants foreign students to cover the full cost of their education, as the local Finnish media reports. According to the same source, the Ministry of Education and Culture has arranged a working group that is preparing to establish the project for students from non-EU and non-EEA countries, to start paying the full cost of tuition fees for this category of students, as the government programme differs, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/finnish-government-wants-to-impose-tuition-fees-on-non-eu-students/Germany Introduces Border Controls With Czechia & Poland
The German authorities announced on Wednesday that the country has decided to increase border controls along “smuggling routes” on the border with Czechia and Poland. As the Federal Ministry of Interior explains, the checks have been intensified with the aim of detecting and preventing smuggling activities, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Ordering border controls with Czechia and Poland, the German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, said that the controls are meant to put maximum pressure on smugglers and to protect people who are put at risk. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-introduces-border-controls-with-czechia-poland/Finland Starts Automatic Post-Issuance Monitoring of Student Residence Permits
The Finnish Immigration has announced that the automatic post-decision monitoring of student residence permits has started on September 28, and it aims to check that students are still eligible for the residence permit granted to them. In a press release, the Finnish Immigration Services pointed out that the validity of student residence permits that started on June 1, 2022, and that are granted for studies that lead to a degree, will have to be monitored post-decision, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The Finnish Immigration Services will track the studies status, when they started, have much they progressed, if the student’s right to study is still valid and other matters related to holders of student residence permits. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/finland-starts-automatic-post-issuance-monitoring-of-student-residence-permits/Netherlands: International Students More Interested in Law & Human Sciences Programmes
Almost 123,000 international students were enrolled in Dutch universities and vocational training in the 2022/2023 academic year, representing 15 per cent of the total student population. According to Statistics Netherlands, over three-quarters of total international students, representing 93,410 scholars, were from Europe, especially Germany, while Asia was the second largest source of students with 21,130 for the academic year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/netherlands-international-students-more-interested-in-law-human-sciences-programmes/4 in 10 Students Completed at Least an Internship During Their Studies in Switzerland
Around 38 per cent of students in Switzerland said in 2022 that they had completed at least an internship since they started their university studies. According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, internships are widespread as a form of training at Swiss universities, but there are clear differences in the department and intention to complete one, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/4-in-10-students-completed-at-least-an-internship-during-their-studies-in-switzerland/Ireland Introduces Application Form for Extension of Student Permission
The Irish authorities have announced that the country’s Domestic Residence and Permissions Division (DRP) has introduced an application form for the Extension of Student Conditions. According to the Department of Justice, all students who have been refused registration at their local immigration office and believe that they have exceptional circumstances in their case can apply to DRP for an extension of their student permission using the newly introduced application form, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/ireland-introduces-application-form-for-extension-of-student-permission/Pass Rates for Final Exams in the Netherlands Rebound to Regular Levels Despite the Impact of COVID-19
Pass rates for final exams have returned to normal levels despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as nearly 90 per cent of all exam students in secondary education attained their diploma in the last academic year. According to a press release by the national government, the percentage of students who passed in the first school year without exam measures has almost reached the pre-pandemic levels, as in a regular academic year, around 92 per cent of students pass, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.European Universities Urge Rapid Agreement as UK-EU Horizon Europe Deadline Approaches
As the deadline for the British government to agree with the European Union’s conditions about the UK’s association to Horizon Europe approaches, European universities have once again united in urging political leaders to reach an agreement as soon as possible. By the end of September, the British government needs to agree with the EU's terms regarding the UK’s inclusion in Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding program for research and innovation, or it can choose to extend a domestic compensation plan, Erudera.com reports. Reference Link:https://erudera.com/news/european-universities-urge-rapid-agreement-as-uk-eu-horizon-europe-deadline-approaches/Minister Says Exclusion of Hungarian Universities From Erasmus+ Is a Political Mistake
The Minister of Regional Development In Hungary, Tibor Navracsics, said that excluding Hungarian universities from the Erasmus+ program is irrational and a political mistake. He went on describing the decision as “ideological discrimination.” During the opening day of the fifth annual Semmelweis Summer University, Navracsics told reporters that the European Commission in an inexplicable manner, was barring Hungarian students from participating in the program. Nonetheless, according to local media reports, he expressed optimism that the Hungarian government and EU will solve the issue of Hungary’s inclusion in Erasmus+, adding that the program was the most effective “advertisement” for EU integration. Reference Link:https://erudera.com/news/minister-says-exclusion-of-hungarian-universities-from-erasmus-is-a-political-mistake/European University Cyprus: Call For Applications For The Master's Degree In "Mental Health Nursing"
The Faculty of Applied Sciences of our University is accepting admission applications from prospective students for the Master's Degree in "Mental Health Nursing" for the Fall Term 2023 . The MSc Mental Health Nursing covers all the requirements for the registration of graduates in the Register of Mental Health Nurses, properly preparing them for employment in the field of Mental Health Nursing and their further specialization in fields such as Addiction, Child Psychiatry, Acute Incident Management, Counseling and support of the vulnerable groups as well as in community Psychiatric Nursing services. Reference Link:https://euc.ac.cy/en/call-application-nursing-master-mental-health-aug23/Technical University of Munich to Reintroduce Tuition Fees for Students From Non-EU Countries
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) has announced that it will reintroduce tuition fees for all students from non-European Union countries. Confirming the decision, the University President, Thomas Hofmann, said the tuition fees for non-EU students will start applying from the winter semester of the academic year 2024/2025, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. As Hofmann revealed, the fees for non-EU students will range between € 2,000-3000 per semester for bachelor’s programmes. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/technical-university-of-munich-to-reintroduce-tuition-fees-for-students-from-non-eu-countries/Closer ties for German U15 and Canadian unis
The German U15 group of research-intensive universities has signed a long-term agreement to support closer ties between researchers and universities at its Canadian counterpart, U15 Canada. During meetings on August 28-29, senior leaders from the 15 German institutions visited Canada’s University of Toronto, the University of British Columbia and the University of Ottawa in the first bilateral meeting of its kind between the two organisations. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/germany-and-canada-unis-partner-on-research/Finland Becomes the First World Country to Test Digital Travel Documents.
The Finnish Border Guard has announced that Finns will be the first in the world to test digital travel documents starting from today, August 28. According to the Border Guard, all Finns on Finnair’s flights who will be travelling to London, Manchester, and Edinburgh will be able to test the digital travel document. This means that they will have the chance to go through the controls faster without having to wait for a long period, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/finland-becomes-the-first-world-country-to-test-digital-travel-documents/Enrolment support desk for international students a.y. 2023-2024
If you are an international student (EU or non-EU) holding a foreign study qualification eligible for enrolment in one of our degree programs for academic year 2023-24, and you are ready to proceed with the enrolment, follow the instructions available at the web page Enrolment for international students. Do you need help completing your enrolment? You can also book an in person appointment for our enrolment desk support for international students at Complesso Aldo Moro, underground floor, Via Verdi, Torino. Reference Link: https://en.unito.it/news/enrolment-support-desk-international-students-ay-2023-2024Edisu call for scholarships, housing service and degree award - Deadline: 5 September
Last days to apply for scholarships and housing services for the 2023-24 academic year . The Edisu Piemonte notice expires on 5 September at 12pm . After this date it is not possible to submit requests for the services of the body for the right to study in Piedmont. All students with university ISEE up to €26,306.25 can apply on the Edisu Piemonte website . Participation is also open to those who are not yet enrolled in Piedmontese universities , subsequently indicating the chosen course of study. Reference Link: https://www.unito.it/avvisi/bando-edisu-borse-di-studio-servizio-abitativo-e-premio-di-laurea-scadenza-5-settembreNetherlands Marks Almost 18k Student Residence Permit Applications in First 7 Months of 2023
A total of 17,870 applications for residence to study in the Netherlands have been received by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND) up to this point. Of the total, nearly 14,000 have been granted with a positive response up to this point. The recent figures show that the number of foreign students from outside the European Union applying for a residency permit to study in the Netherlands continues to increase notably, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The data for residence permits only involve foreign students from outside the EU countries, Liechtenstein as well as Norway, Switzerland, and Iceland, as their residents are not required to hold a residency permit in order to study in the Netherlands. However, they are required to hold a valid passport or travel document. https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/netherlands-marks-almost-18k-student-residence-permit-applications-in-first-7-months-of-2023/159 Erasmus+ Projects Selected for Global Higher Education Modernisation
The European Commission has chosen 159 initiatives to receive funding through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education program, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality of higher education and promoting its modernisation across third countries. In a recent statement, the EU Commission said that in the current selection of projects, over 2,500 individuals involved in higher education across nearly 130 EU countries will collaborate, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to the same authority, the allocated budget for this year, amounting to €115.3 million, will also be used to support several initiatives. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/159-erasmus-projects-selected-for-global-higher-education-modernisation/SCHOLARSHIP: New Law scholarship by UK will make legal qualification open to all
The candidate will receive a grant of up to £1,558 (?164 lakh) depending on their chosen course, The scholarship is open to international students in any location, including anyone residing in India. This offers an opportunity for Indian learners to study from home and can qualify whilst in India to practice law in the UK. The new scholarship will be available for learners wanting to study the CILEX, CLC and NALP courses along with the Notarial Academic Training Course. Anyone wanting to qualify as a solicitor by studying the SQE1 or SQE2 can apply for the existing Access To Law SQE Scholarship, which has already been awarded to 97 applicants – worth nearly £100,000 in value with no applicants having yet been refused. Reference Link: https://www.educationtimes.com/article/newsroom/99733287/scholarship-new-law-scholarship-by-uk-will-make-legal-qualification-open-to-allEmployment of Newly Graduates in the EU Reached Record High in 2022
About 82 per cent of recent graduates in the EU were employed in 2022, raising the share of employment rate among this category by seven percentage points in the eight-year period, with only the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily slowing down the trend.According to Eurostat, the European Office for Statistics, the employment rate in 2022 broke records, reaching 82 per cent – up by one per cent from 2018 records, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “In 2022, 82 per cent of recent graduates (ISCED 2011 levels 3-8) aged 20-34 in the EU were employed. From 2014 to 2022, the employment rate for this group rose by seven percentage points (pp),” the agency states. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/employment-of-newly-graduates-in-the-eu-reached-record-high-in-2022/German Embassy in India Reduces Schengen Visa Processing Time to 8 Weeks
Citizens of India applying for a German Schengen visa will now receive the document faster as the processing time has been reduced. According to the Times of India, the deputy head of mission at the German Embassy in India, Georg Enzweiler, said that the processing time had been reduced to eight weeks. “We have increased our staff substantially in Mumbai and I think the waiting time has substantially gone down. We are at roughly eight weeks now. We hope to get better with regard to that because of course it is what we want,” Enzweiler said at a press conference. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/german-embassy-in-india-reduces-schengen-visa-processing-time-to-8-weeks/Turkey hosting 300,000 int’l students
More than 300,000 international students enrolled in Turkish universities in the 2022/23 academic year, reaching a target set by the Turkey Foreign Economic Relations Board (DE?K) last year. A total of 301,694 non-Turkish students enrolled at institutions across the country in the last year, figures from the country’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) show. DE?K Education Economy Business Council president ?rfan Gündüz said last year that Turkey was aiming to increase the number of international students it hosted to 300,000 by 2023. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/turkey-hosting-300000-international-students-in-202223/Greece gears up for international education boom
Greece is gearing up for an international education boom, with its universities focused on an internationalization drive and the inception of new Study in Greece initiatives, according to a key stakeholder. Christos Michalakelis, the project manager and president of Study in Greece – whose members now consist of all 24 public universities in Greece – spoke with The PIE News about what’s coming next for Greece’s international education sector. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/greece-gears-intled-boom/UK told to “prep” East Asia students for skills gaps
Higher education institutions in the UK hosting students from China, Malaysia and East Asian countries should be helping them prepare for industry skills gaps back home, a new report has suggested. The British Council’s Preparing students for the jobs of the future in East Asia report examines how the region’s industry skills gaps are developing, and how UK universities can help “guide” their students to subjects where their home countries will eventually need their expertise. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-heis-told-to-prep-east-asian-students-for-skills-gaps/A.Y. 23/24 EDISU CALLS FOR ACCOMMODATION AND SCHOLARSHIP
A.Y. 23/24 EDiSU calls for Accommodation and Scholarship have been published! For more information check the “EDiSU Scholarships” section here. https://web-en.unipv.it/a-y-21-22-edisu-calls-for-accommodation-and-scholarship/Project “Control Gest” developed by students of the Universitat de València wins the interuniversity competition Aula Emprende Triple Impacto
The principal of the Universitat de València received the members of the team and the tutor teaching staff to congratulate them and to find out a little more about this project that uses artificial intelligence to prevent the most prevalent maternal pathologies in pregnancy. The team made up of Mariola Hernández, Blanca Carreras and Aránzazu Carbonell, students at the Universitat de València who have developed the "Control Gest" project, have won the Aula Emprende Triple Impacto interuniversity competition, an intensive training programme in innovation sponsored by the Valencian Department of Sustainable Economy, Productive Sectors, Trade and Employment. The public presentation and selection of the winning projects took place on 14 June. During the final of this competition, the 10 projects competing for the three prizes, a first prize of €3,000, a second prize of €2,000 and a third prize of €1,000, were publicly exhibited. The projects that participated in the final phase belong to the five public universities of the Valencian Community: 2 projects from the University of Alicante, 1 project from the Universitat Politècnica de València, 2 projects from the Jaume I University, 2 projects from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche and 3 projects of the Universitat de València. Reference Link:https://www.uv.es/uvweb/uv-news/en/news/project-control-gest-developed-students-universitat-de-valencia-wins-interuniversity-competition-aula-emprende-triple-impacto-1285973304159/Novetat.html?id=1286328856556&plantilla=UV_Noticies/Page/TPGDetaillNewsFrance aiming to welcome 30,000 Indian students by 2030
The latest Franco-Indian roadmap will see a new target of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030, as well as a five-year short-stay Schengen visa for Indian master’s graduates who have spent a semester in France. To mark the 25th anniversary of the 1998 Franco-Indian partnership, the two countries have adopted the new roadmap to set the course of a bilateral relation until 2047, which will ultimately coincide with the 100th anniversary of Indian independence. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/france-30k-indian-students-2030/Finland Will Not Accept Visa & Residence Permit Applications in Russia From Aug.1
The Finnish authorities have announced that the country will no longer accept visa and residence permit applications at the VFS centre in Saint Petersburg from August 1, 2023. “Visa and residence permit applications to Finland will not be accepted at the visa centre VFS (Visa Facilitation Services Global) office in St. Petersburg from August 1, 2023,” the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland reads. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/finland-will-not-accept-visa-residence-permit-applications-in-russia-from-aug-1/Northern Ireland students to access Erasmus+
The government of Ireland has committed €2 million to allow students in Northern Ireland to access the Erasmus+ exchange program, despite the UK pulling out of the program when it left the European Union in 2020. While students in Scotland, Wales and English have lost access to the flagship European exchange program, leaders in Ireland made a commitment to fund Erasmus+ grants for Northern Irish students after Brexit in 2020. The UK launched a global outbound mobility program, Turing, Wales initiated the Taith program supporting both inbound and outbound mobility and Scotland is yet to launch its Scottish Education Exchange Programme. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/northern-ireland-students-to-access-erasmus-program/TOEFL review pauses use for Australian visas
The TOEFL iBT test will be unavailable for Australian visa purposes as ETS rolls out an “enhanced” test and waits for Australian authorities to review the new exam, the testing provider has confirmed to The PIE. According to the Department of Home Affairs, the TOEFL iBT will no longer be offering English language tests for Australian visa purposes from July 26. The enhanced version of the test, launched on July 25, is being reviewed by DHA and the test is not being accepted for visas during the evaluation. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/review-sees-toefl-acceptance-for-aus-visas-paused/Report: TNE benefits “need more detail”
TNE collaboration in Europe needs reform so universities can better understand and utilise its benefits, according to the author of a new report from the Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities. The Transnational education and mobility in higher education: looking back – looking forward paper examines European universities’ approaches to transnational collaboration, as well as innovation and policy implications. “The sector’s current support and participation in international education activities shows the buy-in,” said Jo Magouri, professor in sociolinguistics and the university-level academic director for education and internationalisation at the University of Warwick. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/tne-collaboration-europe/Sector welcomes new US STEM OPT guidance
A list of eight new majors will now be eligible for a program allowing international students to work in the US for three years post-graduation, replacing the prior one-year limit, in a new US government announcement. The departments of immigration and customs enforcement and homeland security indicate that “the list is used to determine whether a degree obtained by certain F-1 non-immigrant students following the completion of a program of study qualifies as a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) degree as determined by DHS, as required for the F-1 student to be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT).” Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/sector-welcomes-new-us-stem-opt-guidance/5-Year Work Visa For Indian Students Pursuing Masters In France: PM Modi
The Prime Minister, who arrived in Paris on Thursday on a two-day official visit, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport. He was welcomed by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the airport. Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that Indian students who are pursuing a master's degree in France will now be given a five-year long-term post-study visa. Earlier, Indian students were given two-year work visa. PM Modi made the announcement during his address to the Indian community at LA Seine Musicale in Paris. He also received a gala welcome from the people gathered there. "The last time I came to France, it was decided that Indian students studying in France would be given a 2-year post-study work visa. Now, it has been decided that Indian students pursuing Masters in France will be given long-term post-study visa of 5 years," said PM Modi in his address. Reference Link: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modi-in-france-5-year-post-study-visa-for-students-pursuing-masters-in-france-4205751TUM Center for Educational Technologies opened
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) strengthens research, further education and spin-offs in educational technologies. In the new TUM Center for Educational Technologies, interdisciplinary research teams will investigate the effectiveness of digital tools for learning and teaching and develop new applications. The center will put this into practice through further training and by supporting start-ups. Reference Link: https://www.tum.de/aktuelles/alle-meldungen/pressemitteilungen/details/neues-zentrum-fuer-digitale-bildungstechnologienMelbourne to support international student talent under new global strategy
Melbourne plans to improve international student employment opportunities as part of a long-term strategy to enhance the city’s global standing. Australia’s second-most populous city has released its new framework for international engagement, which sets out seven priority areas for global relationships and recognises the role that the international education sector plays in Melbourne’s economic development. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/melbourne-international-student-global/€402.2m for Euro-Universities alliances in 2023
The European Commission has revealed seven additional alliances are joining the European Universities network, bringing the total number to 50, each helping to “pave the way” towards a joint European degree. The additions mean that the network is now comprised of more than 430 higher education institutions in 35 countries, including all EU member states and Iceland, Norway, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. According to the European Commission, the aim of the network is to develop a common long-term structural, sustainable and systemic cooperation on education, research and innovation. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/european-universities-network-reaches-50-alliances/UK Students Regain Access to Spanish Universities Like in Pre-Brexit Times
Spain and the United Kingdom have signed an agreement that will enable students from both countries to have access to respective universities, making the higher education institutions more accessible for young people from these two countries. The agreement was signed between the Spanish Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Pilar Alegria and the UK Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliot, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “Today, I had the honour of signing the agreement on the recognition of school qualifications with Pilar Alegria, which will facilitate access to university for our respective students. I look forward to finalising the signature next week with Joan Subsirat,” the Ambassador wrote in a statement. Reference URL: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/uk-students-regain-access-to-spanish-universities-like-in-pre-brexit-times/#google_vignetteGermany Welcomes International Students with Free Blocked Accounts and Services
Expatrio, a blocked account provider in Germany, is offering international students heading to the country the chance to open a blocked account at no cost, saving up to €109. A blocked account or Sperrkonto is a type of bank account into which a visa applicant should deposit a fixed amount of money to provide evidence they have sufficient means to support themselves during their stay in Germany, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. A recent report by Studying-in-Germany.org says that along with the blocked account, Expatrio is offering international students planning to study at German universities free Incoming Insurance and other services so they can secure their student visas. The same notes that the offer is valid until the end of July, meaning those planning to move to Germany for studies should be quick and benefit from the special deal known as Value Package. Reference Link:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-welcomes-international-students-with-free-blocked-accounts-and-services/Bulgaria Starts Talks With EU Commission to Adopt Euro as Parallel Currency
The government of Bulgaria is looking forward to introducing the euro as a parallel payment currency to the lev in early 2024. The decision has been confirmed by the Finance Minister Asen Vasilev, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Authorities in this Balkan country are holding talks with the European Central Bank as well as the European Commission in order to permit people to trade in euros, an option that at present is available only to companies, according to the Finance Minister. Vasliev also stressed that the changes may also permit companies to pay salaries in euro. Reference: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/bulgaria-starts-talks-with-eu-commission-to-adopt-euro-as-parallel-currency/CEG to open pathway centre in Maynooth, Ireland
Cambridge Education Group has announced ONCAMPUS Ireland will open at UniHaven College in Maynooth later this year. The new teaching centre will begin operating two-semester foundation programs from October 2023. It has been created in partnership with the Irish medical education pathway provider Castel Education that CEG and its parent company Bridgepoint acquired in 2021. Along with its portfolio across the UK, Europe and the US, CEG is “pleased to give international students the opportunity to study in a country with such a renowned reputation for its standard of education”, Brendan Webb, CEO, Commercial said on the announcement of the location in Ireland. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/cambridge-education-group-ireland/Portugal Modernising Its Visa Application Platform to Avoid Limited Number of Appointment Slots
The Portuguese authorities have announced that the country is updating its online visa application platform in an attempt to avoid a limited number of applications and long waiting times for a spot. Announcing the news and informing the Parliament of the changes, the Secretary of State of Portuguese Communities, Paulo Cafôfo, said that changes are necessary to make it easier for all those who intend to reach the country for all kinds of reasons, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to Portugal News, Cafôfo brought to the attention the claiming of available sports by intermediaries, calling this an illegitimate action and also identifying the reselling of spots as a major problem. Reference:https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/portugal-modernising-its-visa-application-platform-to-avoid-limited-number-of-appointment-slots/Norway confirms end of free non-EU tuition to dismay of student groups
Norway’s student organisation leader has called the parliament’s overwhelming vote to introduce tuition fees for non-EU students a “betrayal”. After months of debate and opposition from many universities in the country, the Labour Party-run government will introduce fees for non-EU students. Some 97 votes were cast by the Storting regarding the “personal payment for citizens from outside the EEA and Switzerland”. An overwhelming 86 were for the introduction, and just 11 were against. “The free principle is hereby buried. It is a sad day for students and for equal opportunities,” said the National Union of Students in Norway leader Maika Marie Godal Dam. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/norway-non-eu-tuition-fees/Quebec: French exit exam added to some programs
A last minute addition to Quebec’s Bill 96 will require international students in some continuing education CEGEP programs to take a French exit exam – a move some stakeholders are concerned will deter incoming mobility. The change applies to Attestation of College Studies, or AEC, programs – short, technical training qualifications issued in Quebec by CEGEPs and some private colleges, and are designed with current job-market realities in mind. The Official Gazette entry states that the requirements for French proficiency correspond to level seven in oral expression and comprehension and level four in written expression and comprehension. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/quebec-intl-aec-students-must-take-french-exit-exam/Berkeley and Sweden’s KTH sign tech deal
University of California, Berkeley and Sweden’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology will expand educational and research exchanges in technology under a new agreement. The five-year agreement focuses on computer science, biotechnology, chemistry, mechanical engineering and basic scientific exploration partnership. It was announced the same week as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson on a trip to Scandinavia. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/news/berkeley-and-swedens-kth-sign-tech-partnership/Welsh and Canada universities sign new partnership
Universities in Wales and Canada have reached a new agreement to strengthen educational cooperation between the two countries. Institutions have committed to developing long-term relationships and promoting collaboration between the nations under a new Memorandum of Understanding signed by Universities Wales and Universities Canada on May 30. Reference Link : https://thepienews.com/news/welsh-canadian-universities-partnership/Canada: IRCC expands range of accepted SDS English tests
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has expanded the range of accepted English language tests for the Student Direct Stream, causing the shares of previous monopolisers IDP to plummet. Previously, the Canadian government only accepted IDP Education’s IELTS but the move means Prometric’s CELPIP General and CAEL, along with Pearson PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT Test will also be accepted. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/ircc-expands-range-of-sds-english-tests/Australia consulting on upcoming changes in overseas student reform
Australia’s government is looking to enact wide-ranging changes this academic year to put a stop to unscrupulous agent behaviour and non-genuine students switching courses aided by onshore agents, according to an Education department representative. It is also considering amendments to written agreements between students and institutions and the ESOS National Code, which is likely to see changes as a result of the upcoming migration review. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/australia-consulting-on-esos-reform/Germany EU Blue Card Changes Explained
Germany has introduced several new changes to its Blue Card, which is a European Union-wide residence permit designed particularly to attract highly qualified workers from third countries, in fields where there’s a shortage of labour in the EU countries. The German government has approved last week several changes to its immigration policies, in a bid to attract more foreign workers, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The changes include a new job-seeker residence permit with a validity of three years, and the removal of several bureaucratic procedures, including here creating new facilitations for obtaining an EU Blue Card in Germany. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germany-eu-blue-card-changes-explained/University Students in Hungary Can Now Apply for Erasmus Scholarships for Autumn Semester
University students in Hungary will be eligible to apply for Erasmus scholarships for the autumn semester in just the same way as before, the country’s Minister of Regional Development, Tibor Navracsics, has confirmed. Navracsics’ comments came following a meeting held with the European Union Commissioners Elisa Ferreira and Johannes Hahn, as well as Mariya Gabriel, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. In addition, the Minister emphasized the fact that he urged the European Commission to address a letter to the non-profit organization with the task of coordinating international mobility applications, Tempus Public Foundation, reassuring university students as well as EU countries authorities that the participation in this program would go ahead. Reference Reel: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/university-students-in-hungary-can-now-apply-for-erasmus-scholarships-for-autumn-semester/Danish universities emerge as top Horizon grant recipients
Three Danish universities – up from only one in 2018 – feature among the top 10 recipients of funding from Europe’s flagship innovation programme Horizon Europe following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union – with the three institutions netting a total of €212 million (US$232 million) in grants between them. While the top-performing university in Horizon Europe was the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands with €93.6 million received, followed by KU Leuven in Belgium with €91.8 million, Danish universities have taken spots three, four and six on the list, according to the Danish Ministry of Education and Research figures up to the end of February 2023. The Danish universities include the Denmark Technical University (€87.2 million), Aarhus University (€66.7 million) and the University of Copenhagen (€58.3 million). In total, 479 researchers at Danish universities participated in the contracts: 135 researchers from DTU, 131 from the University of Copenhagen and 113 from Aarhus University. Reference Link: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230405142639382Canada extends post-graduate work permits by 18 months
Canada will allow international graduates with recently expired or close-to-expiring work permits to stay in the country for an additional 18 months, the government announced today. Starting April 6, current post-graduate work permit holders will be able to opt into extending their visas. Additionally, foreign nationals whose PGWP expired in 2023 and those who already extended or were eligible to extend their visas under a similar policy announced in 2022 will be able to apply for an extension. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/canada-extends-post-graduate-work-permits/Number of First-Semester Foreign Students in Germany Increased By 10% in 2022 Academic Year
Germany’s institutions of higher education registered a total of 474,900 new entrants in the academic year of 2022, based on the figures of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). The same source revealed that there was noted an increase of 2,500, or 0.5 per cent, during the summer semester of 2022 and winter semester of 2022/23 in comparison to the academic year of 2021, still 7 per cent less than in 2019 before the spread of the COVID-19 and its new variants, during which year the figures stood at 508,700, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Destatis statistics revealed that there was marked a 10 per cent increase in the number of foreigners in the first semester of the academic year 2022. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/number-of-first-semester-foreign-students-in-germany-increased-by-10-in-2022-academic-year/EU Increases Erasmus+ 2023 Annual Work Programme Budget, With a Focus on Ukrainian Learners & Staff
The European Commission has announced that the general budget of the Erasmus+ Annual Work Programme for this year has been increased to a new total of €4.43 billion, which is the highest annual financial amount ever achieved by the Erasmus+ programme. According to a recent statement of the EU Commission, a total of €100 million frontload from the Erasmus+ 2027 budget will be allocated to facilitate the integration of those fleeing the war in Ukraine and support projects that promote educational activities, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. At the same time, this programme aims to support organisations, students and staff in Ukraine. Reference Link : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-increases-erasmus-2023-annual-work-programme-budget-with-a-focus-on-ukrainian-learners-staff/UK “still tops” study abroad destinations for Chinese students
The UK remains the most attractive destination to Chinese students, according to new research by market intelligence firm BONARD. In a survey of 350 Chinese students, 45% said they would consider studying in the UK now – Canada was in second place, with 39%, and Australia and the US were in joint fourth with 36%. Compared to its survey in November 2022, demand for Australia has “gradually flattened” over time – and other English-speaking destinations have suffered as the world has opened up. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-still-tops-study-abroad-destinations-chinese-students/7 IT Master Programmes for Technology Geeks That Want to Study in Europe
A total of 1.46 million students were attaining tertiary level studies in Europe throughout 2020, making the zone one of the most sought among international students. This proves that the 27-nation-bloc has gained a reputation due to its commitment to offering the best academic programmes for all students, regardless of the field of study, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Currently, technology is one of the fields where demand is on the rise and the European Education Area (EEA), the EU initiative that aims at improving access to quality education for everyone, suggests the following e master’s programmes for students that plan to take their academic career even further or even have the opportunity to travel, as several universities enable students to take a year in other countries consortiums. Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/7-it-master-programmes-for-technology-geeks-that-want-to-study-in-europe/Sweden Plans to Facilitate Residence Permit Applications for Int’l Students & Researchers from Visa-Free Countries
Sweden may soon change its rules for residence permit applications for international students and researchers from visa-free countries in an attempt to avoid the latter’s long-distance travel. With the new rules approved in the country since the beginning of November last year, international students and researchers applying for residence permits in Sweden must appear at a Swedish embassy or general consulate to show their passports for identity verification, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The passport requirement was imposed to have a correct process with applications for work and residence permits in Sweden after the Swedish Migration Agency received criticism about the control of documents by Sweden’s National Audit Office. Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/sweden-plans-to-facilitate-residence-permit-applications-for-intl-students-researchers-from-visa-free-countries/Cambridge renews Estonia assessment deal
A new agreement between Cambridge University Press & Assessment and Estonia’s ministry of education and research has been announced, aiming to bolster English language assessment offerings in the country. The deal follows in the footsteps of the partnership first put together in 2019, which has already seen more than 15,000 Estonian school leavers given the opportunity to take the English C1 Advanced examination instead of their usual school-leaving test. The usual test in Estonian schools is set at the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages standard. “We’re delighted to be continuing our work with the Ministry of Education in Estonia, and with our colleagues in Harno,” remarked Hanan Khalifa from Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/cambridge-renews-deal-estonia/Int’l schools market is “flourishing” – ISC report
A new report from educational consultants ISC Research suggests factors such as increasing diversity, a post-Covid surge and geopolitical events are leading to a flourishing international school sector. The PIE spoke to stakeholders in key destination markets to find out more. Europe In the UK, the year 2022 saw some Russell Group universities paying their students to defer their courses due to accommodation shortages. For QA‘s Magdalena Restrepo, it is now about managing expectations for students – particularly those heading to London for their student experience, where availability and affordability of private short term letting is an issue, she told The PIE News. “For students who are coming from countries with less strong currencies, the prices are too high,” Restrepo, who is senior country specialist for the Americas at QA, said. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/accommodation-issues-world/Women in Science: EU Records Nearly 7 Million Female Scientists in 2021
According to Eurostat, the European Office for Statistics, the difference in the number of female scientists is 369,800 higher than in the preceding year and the majority of these workers are engaged in the services sector as 46 per cent of scientists and engineers are women, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Furthermore, data show that women represented 28 per cent of all employees in the air transport sectors, while they account for 21 per cent of scientists and engineers. On the other hand, water transport sector records the lowest number of transport sector – eight per cent were female, followed by manufacture of transport equipment (12 per cent) and motor vehicles (13 per cent). Source: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/women-in-science-eu-records-nearly-7-million-female-scientists-in-2021/Rectors back EC launch of European degree pilot projects
University rectors from Belgium, Finland, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden and other stakeholders are supporting the movement towards a joint European degree and European legal status for the European university alliances. On 31 January, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel launched 10 Erasmus+ projects funded to test new forms of transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, as outlined in the European Strategy for Universities released in early 2022. Six of these projects aim to test and facilitate the issuing of a unified common European degree label, which is a certificate for students who have graduated from joint programmes of higher education institutions, set according to European criteria. Source: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20230208101443382UK education secretary to oppose cuts to int’l student numbers
The UK secretary of state for education, Gillian Keegan, has shown strong support for international students and the wider sector, with reports that she will oppose any potential cuts to international student numbers by the Home Office. “It’s a sector we should be very proud of,” said Keegan, in an interview with the Financial Times. “It’s world-leading, a great advert to our country.” Keegan told the publication she wanted to build on the UK’s export market in university education and to expand education export revenues from about £26bn to £35bn by the year 2030. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-education-secretary-to-oppose-cuts-to-intl-student-numbers/Tuition fees for students from outside EU/EEA and Switzerland
The Norwegian government has proposed the introduction of tuition fees for students from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland from the autumn semester of 2023. Until further notice, applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland/EFTA applying for a degree at in Norway starting autumn 2023, must be prepared to pay tuition fees. You will not have to pay tuition fees if: You are an exchange student. You started your degree studies in Norway before 2023 - meaning if you are in your second year autumn 2023, you will not pay fees. You are a student from the EU/EEA or Switzerland. More information regarding level of fees, excemptions from fees and other issues will be published on this website as soon as more decisions are made. Reference Link: https://studyinnorway.no/tuition-fees-students-outside-eueea-and-switzerlandPearson English test approved by Canada
The Canadian government will accept Pearson’s new language test as proof of English proficiency, the publishing and assessment company announced. Individuals applying for Canadian permanent residency or citizenship are expected to be able to use Pearson’s test in their applications from late 2023. The organisation said the new exam, PTE Essential, is similar to its existing test, PTE Academic, but has a vocational and real-life focus to meet Canada’s immigration requirements. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/pearson-english-test-canada/UK may lift work hour limit during studies
The UK government is considering increasing the number of hours international students can work during their studies in a bid to fill job vacancies across the country. In surprise news, ministers are considering extending the work hour limit from 20 hours per week, with the government debating whether to increase the limit to 30 hours or to scrap it completely, according to a report from The Times. The idea aligns closely with policy in Australia and in Canada and comes as the prime minister is focused on ensuring economic growth. In a clear clash of policy priorities, the news comes in the same week that it has been reported that home secretary Suella Braverman is touting plans to reduce the graduate route visa from the current two years down to six months of post-study work. Source: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-may-lift-work-hour-limit-during-studies/UK mulls new policy to reduce post-study visa stay — Report
Foreign students in the United Kingdom may face the risk of deportation if they stay longer than six months in the country after completion of their studies. Currently, international students in the UK can stay on for two years after the end of their education. The Times of London reports that Suella Braverman, Britain’s Home Secretary, had drawn up a plan to reform the graduate visa route. Under her proposal, foreign students would have to obtain a work visa by getting a skilled job or leave the UK within six months after the end of their studies. Reference Link: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2023/01/uk-mulls-new-policy-to-reduce-post-study-visa-stay-report-2/Croatia Successfully Completes Its Euro Changeover, EU Commission Confirms
The Commission of the European Union has announced that Croatia has successfully completed its euro changeover. Such an announcement from the Commission was made after the 14-day dual circulation period, during which payments could be made both in kuna and euro and it was stressed that from now on payments can only be made in euro, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.According to the Commission, a survey that has been carried out by the latter on January 13 and 14 has shown that 89 per cent of cash payments in shops were made in euro. Reference : https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/croatia-successfully-completes-its-euro-changeover-eu-commission-confirms/eu-LISA: Planned Entry Into Force of Entry/Exit System on May 2023 Is No Longer Achievable
The Entry/Exit System will not become effective on May 2023 as it has been planned by the European Union authorities, and a new date for its full launch will become known soon. The eu-LISA, which is the EU agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, has announced that May is no longer a realistic day for the system to become effective due to delays by contractors.The delay has been revealed during a meeting held on January 12 in Tallinn, Estonia, between eu-LISA’s Management Board, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-lisa-planned-entry-into-force-of-entry-exit-system-on-may-2023-is-no-longer-achievable/Hungarian universities: participation in EU mobility must be guaranteed to everyone
EU education, research and mobility schemes must be guaranteed to everyone participating in Hungarian university life, regardless of who runs the university, the Hungarian Rectors’ Conference (MRK) said on Saturday. Fully 63 higher education institutions operate in Hungary, run by either the state, churches, private institutions or public foundations, the MRK statement said. Any political debate that ends up curbing participation of Hungarian university students or lecturers in the EU’s education, mobility and research programmes is “unacceptable”, it added. These schemes must be available equally to all university students, lecturers and researchers of all EU countries without exception, the statement said. Democratic Coalition proposes committee session over Erasmus issue The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) has proposed convening parliament’s cultural committee to discuss the European Union’s withdrawal of Hungary’s Erasmus higher education funding, DK MP Olga Kálmán told an online press conference on Saturday. Read also: Good news: major developments . Source: dailynewshungary.com https://dailynewshungary.com/hungarian-universities-participation-in-eu-mobility-must-be-guaranteed-to-everyone/Europe's highest ranked universities: Which countries have performed the best in the Global Top 100?
In 2023, 36 of the Global Top 100 universities will be in Europe. This is a significant increase from 28 universities since the Times Higher Education’s 2011 World University Rankings report was released. However, it is not the best performance in the last 13 years, as European countries had 42 universities in the Global Top 100 list in 2016. Apart from three British universities, namely the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Imperial College London (ICL), only ETH Zurich of Switzerland has ranked in the Top 10 in the last 13 years. Reference Link: https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/12/29/europes-highest-ranked-universities-which-countries-are-performing-the-best-in-the-global-Sweden Takes Over Rotating Council of EU Presidency for Next 6 Months
Sweden has taken over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first six months of the year, on January 1, 2023, following the Czech Republic, which headed the Council in the second half of 2022. This is the third time that Sweden has taken over the Presidency of one of the EU’s three most important decision-making institutions, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The Swedish Presidency has set out four priorities on which it will be focused during these six months, which are security – unity, competitiveness, green & energy transition, and democratic values and the rule of law. Reference: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/sweden-takes-over-rotating-council-of-eu-presidency-for-next-6-months/Germany’s New Right of Residence Became Effective Today, Giving Migrants More Opportunities
Germany’s much-discussed Right to Residence and other laws making it easier for foreigners in the country to make their stay legal, move to the country or gain permanent residency there, has become effective on , January 1, 2023. The new law, which has been published in the Federal Law Gazette on December 30, last year, will give almost 140,000 foreigners who have been in Germany under a tolerates status, the chance to meet the necessary requirements to stay in Germany through an 18-month residence permit. The requirements include securing livelihood, amongst others, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Reference: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/germanys-new-right-of-residence-became-effective-today-giving-migrants-more-opportunities/Croatia adopts euro ,enters borderless Europe club
Croatia on sunday switched to the euro and entered Europe's borderless zone - two steps prime minister Andrej Plenkovic called a "historic moment ". The Balken nation bid farewell to its kuna currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone.It is also now the 27th nation in the passport - free Schengen zone .EU & Turkish Officials to Take Further Steps to Ease Schengen Visa Procedures
Representatives of the European Union countries and the Foreign Ministry of Turkey have held three meetings in Ankara, in order to further ease visa process for Turkish citizens. According to a report of Hurriyet Daily News, the meetings have been held in order to discuss the steps that should be taken regarding visa facilitation process for nationals from Turkey, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. In this regard, embassies have vowed to take further measures in order to solve visa problems. “We will try to increase the number of our personnel and receive technical support from intermediary visa agencies. We will also open an emergency visa channel, especially for the business world and students,” the embassies in Ankara pointed out in this regard, according to the report. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-turkish-officials-to-take-further-steps-to-ease-schengen-visa-procedures/New Zealand to join Horizon Europe
Scientists in New Zealand will be able to access EU research funding from next year as the country has successfully secured association to Horizon Europe. This is the first time a “highly industrialised” country outside of Europe has joined the EU’s flagship research and innovation program, the European Commission said following the conclusion of negotiations earlier this week. Researchers in New Zealand will be limited to participating in Pillar II of Horizon, which focuses on shared global challenges, including climate, energy and health. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/new-zealand-horizon-research/Irish government to fund student housing
The Irish government will fund the construction of new student housing, following warnings that the country’s housing shortages are leaving some students homeless. Some 667 new beds will be delivered in the short-term via building projects in areas where planning permission has already been granted but development has been stalled by increasing construction costs. Building work will take place across the University of Limerick, Maynooth University and University of Galway with further work on projects ongoing with Dublin City University and University College Dublin. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/irish-gov-to-fund-student-housing/NZ int’l graduates offered Covid ‘hangover’ visa
International graduates who were supposed to be on a post-study work visa in New Zealand during the Covid pandemic have been offered a 12-month visa in a new raft of immigration policies. An 1,800-strong cohort of international graduates from New Zealand universities will be eligible. “We are authorising a 12-month open work visa for approximately 1,800 previous holders of post-study work visas who missed out because of the border closures in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” said immigration minister Michael Wood in a press conference on Monday, accompanied by PM Jacinda Ardern. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/immigration/covid-post-study-visa-nz/Why Indian managers see Maribor as paradise
More than 80 Indians from the energy company NTPC attended the training organized by the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Maribor. What did they talk about and how did they experience Maribor? Reference Link : https://vecer.com/maribor/aktualno/zakaj-indijski-menedzerji-vidijo-maribor-kot-raj-10322567?Future veterinarian has ‘life-changing’ Italy fellowship
When University of Hawai?i at M?noa alumna Jemma Baird saw the chance for hands-on experience at animal rescues in Italy, she jumped at the opportunity. The animal science (pre-veterinary) major earned her bachelor’s degree in May 2022. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Baird moved to Hawai?i to pursue marine biology, but decided to pursue animal science because of her interest in working with domesticated animals and livestock. Reference Link: https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2022/12/01/future-vet-italy-fellowship/EU launches new Digital Europe calls for cyber resilience
The European Commission has launched a call for proposals on innovative cybersecurity technologies under the Digital Europe programme. A total of €176.5 million worth of grants will go towards improving the tools and infrastructures for enhanced cybersecurity cooperation between the Member States and the Commission. The calls are open until 15 February 2023 to entities from the EU Member States, EFTA/EEA countries. More details are available here. Reference Link: https://sciencebusiness.net/live-blog/horizon-blog-european-rd-policy-newsbytes?entry=14608#live-blog-entry-14608Imperial and Germany’s TUM to develop new technologies to tackle global pollution
Imperial College London and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in Germany have launched a partnership to develop new technologies to tackle the combined threats of global pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change. The Imperial – TUM Zero Pollution Network will bring together scientists, industry, governments and other partners to develop and translate solutions to some of the greatest sustainability challenges. The most innovative ideas and technologies that offer disruptive impact will be funded and supported through the network. The partnership will see academics and students from two of the world’s top universities working together on joint research and education programmes, and spending time in each institute’s laboratories. Reference Link: https://sciencebusiness.net/network-updates/imperial-and-germanys-tum-develop-new-technologies-tackle-global-pollutionUniversities in central and eastern Europe want more say at EU level
The CE7 coalition of seven universities hopes a new partnership with the League European Research Universities will give them more influence in shaping EU policy to better suit their needs Universities in central and eastern Europe need to make their voices heard when it comes to shaping EU policy, say representatives of CE7, a group of universities in Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Serbia and Slovenia. In September the group signed a new partnership with the League of European Research Universities (LERU), which represents 23 top research universities, with one intention being to put the CE7 in a better position to lobby EU policymakers. Reference Link: https://sciencebusiness.net/widening/news/universities-central-and-eastern-europe-want-more-say-eu-levelNorway moving towards tuition fees for non-EU students in 2023
Short on time? Here are the highlights: Norway is considering the introduction of tuition fees for international students coming from outside the European Union as of fall 2023 A government proposal recommends annual tuition fees of about USD$13,000 A survey of just over 1,000 non-EU students who are considering studying in Norway has found that the move away from free tuition could deter up to 80% of prospective students Reference Link: https://monitor.icef.com/2022/11/norway-moving-towards-tuition-fees-for-non-eu-students-in-2023/Queen Mary and Cornell expand partnership
Queen Mary University of London and Ivy League Cornell University have signed a research and exchange collaboration that will strengthen mobility of both staff and students. Through the partnership, Cornell’s Global Hubs brand will be extended to the UK, allowing students, staff, and alumni to study, conduct research or teach at both institutions. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Queen Mary University of London,” Colin Grant, vice-principal (International) for the UK institution, said. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/queen-mary-signs-partnership-with-cornell/European Parliament approves Croatia’s admission to Schengen zone
The parliament votes in favour of lifting the remaining border controls between the Schengen area and Croatia. The European Parliament has cleared the way for the admission of Croatia to the bloc’s passport-free Schengen zone, leaving the final decision in the hands of the EU’s government leaders. With a 534-53 majority, the parliament on Thursday voted in favour of lifting the remaining border controls between the Schengen area and Croatia. Reference Link: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/11/10/european-parliament-approves-croatias-admission-to-schengen-zoneFour AU researchers receive money for green research
Denmark's Independent Research Foundation distributes a total of DKK 105 million. DKK for 37 research ideas which will support the green transition. Four of the recipients are researchers from Aarhus University, who each receive approx. 2.8 million DKK to realize their projects. Four younger researchers from Aarhus University receive support from Denmark's Free Research Foundation to explore ideas that will help us to a more climate-friendly world. The ideas range from research into technology, which makes it possible to store CO2 permanently, to research into magnetic refrigeration, which does not depend on environmentally dangerous refrigerants such as fluorocarbons or chlorofluorocarbons, to research into how Danish studies can increase students' awareness of the impact of their habits on environment and climate. Reference Link: https://www.au.dk/forsideelementer/nyheder/artikel/fire-au-forskere-faar-penge-til-groen-forskningFirst Humanitarian Scholarship students welcomed to our University
The University of Manchester has held an event to welcome the first recipients of its newly-created Humanitarian Scholarships for students fleeing conflict and persecution. In response to the war in Ukraine, the University launched a new scheme earlier this year for international applicants who have been displaced because of armed conflict or are at risk of persecution or violence due to their race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion. The scholarships are intended for students who could not afford to study in Manchester without one, and are expected to cost the University around £5m to operate over three years. Reference Link: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/first-humanitarian-scholarship-students/Prestigious funding to researchers at Chalmers
In their annual call for research grants, the Swedish Research Council distributes SEK 112 million to 29 researchers at Chalmers. Chalmers was awarded grants in all announced areas, but most in natural and engineering sciences. These researchers at Chalmers receive grants – sorted by department Reference Link: https://www.chalmers.se/en/news/Pages/funding-from-swedish-research-council-2022.aspxExperience Designer. Apply Now!
As an Experience Designer student, you will learn to design Super Experiences, which truly enhance customer engagement. You will develop a new set of key competences, which express the unique profile of an Experience Designer – Empathy; Sense-making; Curiosity; Volition; and Wow-ness. The Experience Designer studies represent 30 ECTS and it brings together students and teachers from all Haaga-Helia campuses with top-notch company partners. Starts: January 16, 2023 | ends: May 17, 2023 Reference Link: https://www.haaga-helia.fi/en/current/news/experience-designer-apply-nowLanguage proficiency tests for mobility calls: registration open
Reference Link: https://www.iulm.it/en/news-ed-eventi/news/Prove-di-idoneita-linguistica-per-bandi-di-mobilitaIf you want to have a study abroad experience but you don't have a language certification, sign up to IULM language proficiency tests before November 6th. Would you like to have a study abroad experience? Calls for applications for departures in 2023/24 will be published in January 2023. In order to apply, you must demonstrate that you have a language level appropriate to the admission requirements of the host university. In the documents "GETTING READY FOR A STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE" and "GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE CERTIFICATIONS" available in Community under the section Mobilità Internazionale - Study Abroad you can find the International Language Certifications which are accepted to apply to the calls.
CAMPUS ART : ONLINE APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2023
Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/campus-art-online-applications-open-for-2023Online applications for art and architecture studies are open on CampusArt network website until February 28, 2023 Presentation of the CampusArt network Online applications for art and architecture studies are open on CampusArt network website until February 28, 2023. CampusArt is a network of French institutions offering university level programs in the fields of art and architecture, led by Campus France with the support of the French Ministries of Education, Higher Education and Research, Europe and Foreign Affairs, Culture. The website www.campusart.org gives access (under specific conditions) to various degrees in a wide range of schools (visual arts, cinema, design, visual communication, fashion, music, architecture…): preparatory classes, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Post-Master’s and Doctorate’s levels.
Switzerland Planning to Let Non-EU Nationals With a Swiss University Degree in Specific Fields Remain in the Country
Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/switzerland-planning-to-let-non-eu-nationals-with-a-swiss-university-degree-in-specific-fields-remain-in-the-country/The Swiss authorities have proposed that the country permits all persons, including nationals of third countries, who obtain a master’s or a doctorate degree in an area that is dealing with a shortage of skilled workers to remain and work in Switzerland. Such a proposal was made by the Federal Council of Switzerland on October 19, and the requirement to amend the Aliens and Integration Act has been based on a demand by the Parliament, which is expected to discuss the bill, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. According to the Federal Department of Justice and Police, the Parliament is demanding to make an exception to the quotas for workers from countries outside the European Union and outside the European Free Trade Association, with the motion “if Switzerland trains expensive specialists, they should also be able to work here”.
Spain to Accelerate & Simplify Procedures for Recognition of Foreign University Degrees
Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/spain-to-accelerate-simplify-procedures-for-recognition-of-foreign-university-degrees/The Spanish authorities have announced that the country’s Council of Ministers has approved the acceleration and modernisation of procedures for the recognition of foreign university degrees. The decree corresponding to the Immigration Law will officially enter into force on November 7, and the move means that foreigners from other countries will be subject to facilitated procedures when it comes to the recognition of their university degrees, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. In line with the new rules that are to become effective two weeks from now, foreigners who hold a university degree issued in their country of origin will be able to prove through a more streamlined procedure that their level of training is the same as the one required in Spain.
Christmas Grant for WUT students and doctoral students
We invite our students and doctoral students to submit for the Christmas Grant 2022 – a special grant awarded to students and doctoral students at the Warsaw University of Technology involved in promoting the University and building its positive image. The grant is financed by the resources collected during the WUT Christmas Fair. Candidates’ nominations may be submitted to the Office for Communication and Promotion in an electronic form to eventy@pw.edu.pl from October 12 to November 2, 2022. Reference Link: https://www.pw.edu.pl/engpw/News/Christmas-Grant-for-WUT-students-and-doctoral-studentsGets funding for a doctoral project on digital home monitoring
The project Digital support for self-care in case of heart failure receives NOK 2,379,000 from Stiftelsen DAM, earmarked for financing a doctoral scholarship holder at the Faculty of Health Sciences.Germany scholarships 2023
The next call for applications for Germany scholarships at Universität Hamburg will take place from October 14, 2022 to November 7, 2022 for a scholarship for 2023. You can only apply online during this period. The prerequisite for an application is that you are enrolled at the University of Hamburg. Due to current events, we would like to point out that students who have fled Ukraine and are enrolled at the UHH can also apply for a Germany scholarship. Further information for refugee students can be found here . Reference Link: https://www.uni-hamburg.de/deutschlandstipendium/stipendiaten-innen.htmlMSU, Italy’s University of Salento mark formal collaboration in smart technologies, sustainable agriculture
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University and Italy’s University of Salento leaders are celebrating new collaborations aimed at utilizing smart technologies to advance sustainable agriculture. MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw and University of Salento Rector Fabio Pollice signed a memorandum of understanding this week in Italy promoting opportunities for educational and research exchanges between the two universities. “I am excited about the wide range of possibilities for our universities to collaborate on some of the most pressing issues facing our world today,” Shaw said. “Advanced technologies and sustainable agriculture methods are critical to feeding our growing global population. This mutually beneficial partnership can expand the horizons of students and researchers at both universities as we consider the global contexts of the challenges we face.” Reference Link: https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2022/10/msu-italys-university-salento-mark-formal-collaboration-smart-technologiesMOPGA PROGRAM: OPENING OF A NEW CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
The MOPGA 2023 call for applications is open until January 16, 2023. This scholarship program will make it possible to welcome 40 young international researchers to France wishing to carry out research on themes related to climate change and environmental issues. France, as a major player in the fight against climate change and guarantor of the spirit of the Paris Agreement, is launching a new MOPGA program of research residence grants for young researchers with a view to working to strengthen scientific contributions to climate change issues raised by the COPs. This sixth call for projects of the Make Our Planet Great Again (MOPGA) programme, funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE), in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR) and implemented by Campus France, will make it possible to welcome young international researchers wishing to carry out research work in French laboratories and research centres. 40 scholarships will be awarded to young winning researchers over a 12-month period starting in September 2023 . Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/programme-mopga-ouverture-d-un-nouvel-appel-a-candidaturesWe received over PLN 106 million in subsidies
The money comes from the Medical Fund and was given to the University Clinical Center. The funds are intended to "increase the quality and availability of childcare services". In practice, this means that our children's clinics will be able to buy the most modern medical equipment - e.g. tomographs, X-ray machines, ultrasound scanners, cardiomonitors, and non-medical ones - such as armchairs, couches, computers. In December last year The University Clinical Center has entered the competition for funds from the Medical Fund. The results have just been announced and it turned out that we are one of the beneficiaries. We received a check for the amount of PLN 106,091,482. Reference Link: https://www.wum.edu.pl/node/17390QS Stars Rating certifies the educational model of excellence of the UCAM
The British consultancy recognizes its strengths in teaching, inclusiveness, social responsibility, internationalization and outstanding programs UCAM has been given a global score of four stars out of a maximum of five by the prestigious company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS ), specialized in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world. QS Stars Rating distinguishes it especially for its teaching model, social responsibility and inclusiveness of its university campuses, and also values it with a high score in employability, internationalization and outstanding programs . Reference Link: https://www.ucam.edu/noticias/qs-stars-rating-certifica-el-modelo-educativo-de-excelencia-de-la-ucamAn outsourcing era: UK university procurement notices reveal demand for services
With the majority of universities in the UK classed as public institutions, they are subject to open procurement procedures to ensure fair competition. What this means is a lot of details are shared publicly about the objectives of a university via specific outsourcing projects and plans. The result is a fascinating glimpse into where the pressure points might be, and a scope on what the outsourcing budget might be for at-need services that are best delivered via a third party. The PIE has been sifting through the tender process to find out exactly what universities are seeking external help and support for – and how much they are allocating for this in terms of investment. While this may not be news to some, it will certainly help signpost many in the sector to the bigger deals happening on the ground. We often report on public-private sector partnerships once the deal has been done, however public notices provide an interesting source of extra information including the estimated procurement value, contract length and number of tenders received or considered. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/analysis/an-outsourcing-era-uk-university-procurement-notices-reveal-demand-for-services/Chevening opens to Afghans living out of the country
The UK government today reopened its Chevening scholarship scheme to Afghan nationals, but only students living outside of Afghanistan are eligible to apply. The portal for the 2023/24 cycle is now open for applications from Afghans, over two months after individuals from other countries were able to apply. Students from Afghanistan previously expressed their frustration at being excluded from the scheme, which sees successful scholars undertake a fully-funded master’s course in the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office says it has now assessed the situation and that it is only offering the scholarship opportunity to Afghans who are residing outside of Afghanistan and in a country eligible for UK overseas aid. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/chevening-afghans-country/EU Allocates €384 Million Under Erasmus+ in Support of European University Alliances
With a total budget of €384 million, the European Commission has announced a fourth Erasmus+ call for proposals to support the further extension of the European Universities initiative. Through a statement, the EU Commission said that the call for EU Universities Erasmus+ 2023 will be open until the end of January next year, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “The 2023 call, just as the Erasmus+ 2022 call, offers sustainable funding to intensify deep institutional transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, such as those selected under the Erasmus+ 2020 European Universities call, as well as opportunities to set up completely new alliances,” the statement reads. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-allocates-e384-million-under-erasmus-in-support-of-european-university-alliances/CALL FOR APPLICATIONS EIFFEL 2023
The call for applications for the 2023 campaign of the Eiffel scholarship program is open until January 10, 2023. The call for applications for the Eiffel scholarship program is open until January 10, 2023 for French higher education institutions. FIELDS OF STUDY FOR THE MASTER'S AND DOCTORATE Two major disciplinary fields concerned by the Eiffel scholarships cover the following 7 fields of study for the Masters and Doctorate sections. For science and technology Biology and health Ecological transition Mathematics and Numerical Engineering sciences For the humanities and social sciences French history, language and civilization Law and Political Science Economy Management Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/appel-a-candidatures-eiffel-2023Spain and the US to exchange more language assistants in bilingualism push
The governments of Spain and the United States have agreed to recruit more English and Spanish-language assistants from each other’s countries as a means of bolstering bilingual education in the two nations. Spain’s Education Minister Pilar Alegría and US ambassador to Spain Julissa Reynoso met on Wednesday to sign a memorandum of understanding which will reinforce educational cooperation between the two countries. The agreement had been previously signed by Miguel Cardona, the United States Secretary of Education, who tweeted: “This week, alongside [Spanish] Ambassador [Santiago] Cabañas, I signed a memorandum supporting the study of Spanish language & culture in the US, and the study of English in Spain”. Reference Link: https://www.thelocal.es/20220923/spain-and-the-us-to-exchange-more-language-assistants-in-bilingualism-push/The President of Malta highlighted educational cooperation during his visit to Estonia
The President of Malta, George Vella, visited the Education and Youth Board during his visit to Estonia Despite the geographical distance, the ties between our countries have been strong. Recently, especially in the field of education. Both sides highlighted good cooperation in education. “Estonia and Malta are similar in their flexibility in adopting innovative solutions,” said Jaak Raie, General Director of the Education and Youth Board. “I am pleased that the cooperation in the field of education is so strong. Thanks to the initiative of Malta’s Ambassador Kenneth Vella, several Estonian educational technology solutions are already piloting in Malta.” This spring Education Estonia, in cooperation with Kenneth Vella organised four webinars to introduce Estonian education and the Estonian EdTech solutions. The contacts made at the webinars resulted in the first pilot projects in the education field by Estonian Edtechs Edumus School, Triumf Health, and CTF Tech. There is also interest in the Estonian speech therapy solution Speak TX. Before that already, Maltese elementary school students had the Estonian math game 99Math on their devices. Reference Link: https://www.educationestonia.org/malta-president-in-estonia/NEW £7 MILLION NIHR FUNDING FOR GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have been awarded a multi-million pound grant, to establish a new health research unit to help tackle health inequalities in Latin America. Professor Alastair Leyland, based at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit at the University of Glasgow, has been awarded £7 million for five years by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to establish a Global Health Research Unit on Social and Environmental Determinants of Health Inequalities. Reference Link: https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_874262_en.htmlSapienza: from September more than 700 courses in Italian and English
More than 700 courses will be activated for the 2022-2023 academic year, including Bachelor's, Master's and Single-cycle degree programmes, PhDs, first and second-level Advanced Professional Courses, postgraduate, training and advanced training courses. Sapienza's new educational offer includes more than 300 degree programmes, 35 of which are exclusively in English and 20 with at least one curriculum in English, more than 90 PhDs, more than 190 first and second-level Advanced Professional Courses (Master, in Italian), 70 training and advanced training courses, and 86 specialisation schools. Among this year's novelties, Sapienza presents 8 new degree programmes: Cognitive Forensic Sciences (Master's Degree - ENG); Italian Sign Language (LIS) and Italian Tactile Sign Language (LISt) Communication and Interpreting (Bachelor's Degree - ITA); Dentistry and Dental Prosthodontics (Single-cycle Master's Degree); Philosophy and Artificial Intelligence (Bachelor's Degree- ITA); Gender studies, cultures and policies for media and communication (Master's Degree - ITA); Technological Innovation Engineering for Construction (Bachelor's Degree- ITA); Medicinal Chemistry and Computer Science for Pharmaceutical Applications (Bachelor's Degree - ENG); Mathematical Sciences for Artificial Intelligence (Bachelor's Degree - ITA). Reference Link: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/notizia/sapienza-september-more-700-courses-italian-and-englishThe SPOTLIGHT Scholarship Blog is live!
After months of preparation, Dr. Diana Odier-Contreras Garduno and University College Utrecht student Ling Ling Li are excited to announce that the SPOTLIGHT Scholarship Blog is up and running. The SPOTLIGHT Scholarship Blog is a digital space where students and faculty members of the Law, Politics, and History tracks can post their academic work. Publications will include opinion editorials, academic articles, and thesis summaries, which will be published on a monthly basis. In this news item, they would like to briefly explain how they got here, give their thanks to the NPO for their generous funding that made this possible, and outline their publication schedule for the upcoming year. Reference Link: https://www.uu.nl/en/news/the-spotlight-scholarship-blog-is-liveA RESOUNDING SUCCESS FOR THE FRENCH+SCIENCES PROGRAM
The French+Sciences program opened its first sessions last June and July with great success: 39 students were welcomed on three sites, representing 11 nationalities. The French+ Sciences program opened its first sessions last June and July and was a great success with international students. These short stays , lasting 3 to 4 weeks, aim to promote technological know-how and the excellence of French scientific training . The sessions are mainly conducted in English, while including a FLE module, to help participants overcome the language barrier. Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/franc-succes-pour-le-programme-frenchsciencesUniversity of Sheffield ranked among the best in Good University Guide 2023
The University of Sheffield has been ranked within the top 20 best universities in the UK in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023. The University of Sheffield has been ranked 20th best university in the UK within The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023 The University is also ranked 2nd in 'The North' within the annual ranking Over 80 per cent of University of Sheffield graduates have gone into graduate-level employment or further study, according to the rankings Reference Link: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/university-sheffield-ranked-among-best-good-university-guide-2023UofG RESEARCHERS CONTRIBUTE TO EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL-FUNDED GEO-AI PROJECT
Researchers from the University of Glasgow are part of a team who have received new funding from the European Research Council. The team's project is one of 55 new initiatives funded by the EU's research and innovation programme, Horizon Europe. Professor Ana Basiri and PhD student Petrus Gerrits, of the School of Geographical & Earth Sciences, are leading Glasgow’s contribution to a project led by colleagues from Koç University in Turkey, which involves a network of collaborators from across Europe. Reference Link: https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_878718_en.htmlEdtech: Virtual Internships raises $14.3 million
Edtech specialists Virtual Internships has closed a $14.3 million Series A funding round as it scales to meet a growing demand for remote work and learning. It hopes to provide virtual work experience for the more than 250 million students around the world. Investors across three continents reflect the Virtual Internship’s ambitions to continue to expand the platform internationally and “make internships at the most exciting companies accessible to all”, the company said. The round was led by Hambro Perks, with support from Sequoia India & Southeast Asia’s Surge, Arsenal Growth, Kaplan, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, and STIC Investments. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/virtual-internships-raises-14-3m-in-series-a-round/Erasmus+ grant for thirteen exchange projects
Thirteen exchange projects at Leiden University have been awarded an Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility education grant. In total, it concerns about 450,000 euros, with which 103 students and employees go on an exchange. It concerns exchanges for study, education and research. The Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility program (ICM) is exclusively for collaborations with universities outside the European Union. This year's exchange projects are with universities in Armenia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Colombia, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, China, South Africa, Indonesia, Japan, Cuba and the US. Reference Link: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/nieuws/2022/09/erasmus--subsidie-voor-dertien-uitwisselingsprojectenScientists harness Artificial Intelligence to advance ability to measure Arctic sea ice and improve climate forecasting
Pioneering research deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and satellite modelling means the thickness of Arctic sea ice can be measured all year round for the first time, bringing significant benefits for future weather forecasts and shipping in the region. The study, published today in Nature and led by researchers at the University of Bristol and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, provides the first dataset showing the thickness of sea ice across the entire Arctic through the whole year. Reference Link: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2022/september/arctic-sea-ice.htmlFrance hits 400,000 int’l student mark
France has recorded the highest growth in international students in over 15 years and now exceeds the 400,000 mark, Campus France has announced. This week – the week of ‘la rentreé’ in France, when the new academic year begins – Campus France shared the news that, according to latest statistics from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the number of foreign students enrolled in France increased by 8% in the academic year 2021/22. Now, the total number of international students in France, including apprentices in higher education, sits at 400,026, due to the highest growth seen since 2005. A 2018 strategy has a target of attracting half a million international students to the country by 2027, and launched an international campaign in 2019. “All along the pandemic, France has shown itself to be an open and welcoming country towards international students, which can have a lasting impact on some international communities,” said Olivier Marichalar, head of studies at Campus France. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/france-15-year-record-growth-in-intl-students/AIRC and CTCF reveal scholarship for UK students
A new scholarship program for underrepresented students from the UK to study in the US has launched with a $100,000 backing. The Cyril Taylor Scholarships – backed by The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation and administered by the American International Recruitment Council – will fund academic-year, full semester, and summer scholarships. Students enrolling in programs at AIRC member institutions in the summer of 2023, the 2023 fall semester and the 2023/24 academic year will be the first cohort eligible to apply. “We are delighted that, with the help of our friends at AIRC, The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation will advance the legacy of Sir Cyril, continuing his lifelong commitment to building connections across cultures and boundaries one student at time,” said William L. Gertz, trustee of the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation and chairman of the American Institute For Foreign Study. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/airc-and-aifs-announce-grant-for-uk-students/Germans say goodbye to summer of €9 travel tickets
Germany's summer of low-cost travel is over as transport chiefs call a halt to their cheap fares experiment. For three sunny months, passengers have packed on to platforms and concourses to take advantage of a single monthly ticket costing €9 (£7.50; $9). In all, 52 million of the tickets, which allowed them to use any regional or local public transport an unlimited number of times, have been sold. But the offer ends at midnight on Wednesday, to the dismay of many. "It's one of the best ideas we've had," said Chancellor Olaf Scholz. And the scheme, reckoned to have cost more than €2.5bn in federal government subsidies, has, it seems, been a political and social success. Reference Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62736375Hungary signs deal with Gazprom for 5.8M cubic metres of natural gas
Hungary says it has signed a deal with Russian energy giant Gazprom for 5.8 million cubic metres of extra natural gas. Zoltan Kovacs, international spokesman for Hungary's government, said it would be on top of the country's current supplies. "Hungary’s energy supply is safe," he added. Hungary's foreign affairs minister also announced the deal with Gazprom on Facebook during a break from his meeting with other EU ministers. Péter Szijjártó specified that in September and October, Gazprom will deliver a maximum of 5.8 million cubic meters more natural gas per day to Hungary via Serbia than what was specified in its long-term contract. Reference Link: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/08/31/hungary-signs-deal-with-gazprom-for-58bn-cubic-metres-of-natural-gasUK extends Horizon Europe guarantee
The UK government has announced an extension to a November 2021 safety net package for Horizon Europe applicants. The guarantee scheme aims to protect funding for UK researchers, businesses, and innovators, the UK has said. It means successful UK Horizon Europe applicants will be covered for calls that close on or before 31 December 2022, with the majority of grant signature dates expected before the end of August 2023. Westminster says it is continuing to encourage the EU to formalise UK association, but released a set of contingency plans in July to be implemented if association is not possible. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-extends-horizon-guarantee-for-third-wave/A STUDENT RETURN UNDER THE SIGN OF PURCHASING POWER
The Ministry of Higher Education and Research publishes its traditional Student Back-to-School Guide which this year focuses on the emergency measures deployed in favor of purchasing power, but not only. Pages dedicated to accommodation and social support can be useful to all students, French and international. In order to help students cope with the effects of inflation and price increases, the government has implemented various budgetary measures for the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, in addition to the 3.3 billion euros that the French Government devotes annually to student life. Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/fr/une-rentree-etudiante-sous-le-signe-du-pouvoit-d-achatSuccessful project established firm roots for further cooperation
Project no. EHP-CZ-ICP-2-006 "The Technology and Knowledge Transfer based on Norway – Czech Cooperation" fulfilled its potential. But the cooperation with the project partner Oslo Metropolitan University will continue thanks to the Letter of Intent, which we signed in June during Peer-learning activity 3 in Oslo. The topic of Peer-learning activity C3 was focused on Intellectual property and its protection and anti-corruption rules. Given that the Rector of the UHK participated in the activity, it was possible to widely discuss the technology transfer process at the university's top management level, which was absolutely unique and crucial for creating the intellectual outputs. The UHK Summer School 4 TTCamp and Peer-learning activity 4 were also held in June. The topic of Peer-learning activity C4 was focused on organizing the summer school and directly connected with the intellectual output 4 "Methodology_Summer school_Transfer technology_Training programmes". A Multiplier Event was also held at this time as part of the HED conference. It was organized as a "Technology transfer specifics in the humanities" workshop. The workshop participants were informed, among other things, about the project's progress and results. Reference Link: https://www.uhk.cz/en/university-of-hradec-kralove/about/actual-events/succesfull-project-established-firm-roots-for-further-cooperationCURRENT THEMES IN GREEN EDUCATION
From September, agricultural entrepreneurs and advisers can follow short courses on precision agriculture, nature-inclusive entrepreneurship and nitrogen. Aeres Hogeschool, HAS Hogeschool, Van Hall Larenstein, Inholland and Wageningen University & Research offer a joint training program about this. Corné Kocks, lecturer in precision agriculture/smart farming at Aeres University of Applied Sciences, explains why the program is especially important in these uncertain times. 'It is our ambition to support agricultural entrepreneurs in the transition to a sustainable and future-proof sector. Even if not all questions regarding the commercial implementation of things such as precision agriculture, nature-inclusive agriculture and nitrogen have been answered yet. Agricultural higher education supports by training entrepreneurs and advisors in the transition to future-proof business operations, including a sustainable revenue model.' Reference Link: https://www.has.nl/nl/has-organisatie/actualiteit/nieuws/actuele-thema-s-in-groen-onderwijsNZ government backs innovation with $1.6m
Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao has allocated $1.6 million to six “innovative” education specialists as the country’s sector adapts to the post-Covid environment. The six awardees will be handed support ranging from $200,000 to $300,000 for individual projects over the next 12 months. “The quality of the entrants was a clear indication of New Zealand ingenuity, market knowledge and cutting-edge innovation,” ENZ chief executive Grant McPherson said. The country’s government announced $10m in 2020 to fund new “future-focused” products and services to drive onshore and offshore growth as part of a $52m sector support package. referhttps://thepienews.com/news/nz-government-backs-innovation-with-1-6m-funding/Summer program at RIT Croatia premieres a course about – Bitcoin!
Every summer RIT Croatia hosts study abroad programs, attended mostly by students from the US. This year we’ve run three programs: Ecology of Dalmatian Coast and the Roots to Croatian Wine Tradition (Dubrovnik campus), Psychology program (Zagreb campus), and the newest one - Business administration minor which ran in Zagreb. One of the courses in the BA minor program is related to Bitcoin, and we’ve used this opportunity to talk to our professor Schmidt who delivered the class and is a huge Bitcoin aficionado. "Bitcoin is arguably the most significant technological innovation since the Internet”, says Dr. Schmidt. "So how could we, as an institute of technology, not immediately jump on the bandwagon? The première of my course was taught this summer to a cohort of American students from the Rochester campus. We first studied how money works, how our current monetary system is under heavy strain due to inherent design faults coupled with a series of crises since 2008. Against this backdrop we studied Bitcoin technology at a very detailed level, including practical workshops handling transactions, using so called wallets, and running nodes.” Reference Link: https://www.croatia.rit.edu/rit-croatia-news/551/3740Registrations for the 2022-2024 Master of Journalism are open
Registration now open for the XXI edition of the IULM Master in Journalism! Download the announcement on this page. In collaboration with Mediaset . Ten scholarships of 5000 euros available in the two-year period 2022-2024. The IULM Master in Journalism MASTERX.IULM , created in collaboration with Mediaset , is one of the schools recognized by the Order of Journalists and is a substitute for the internship to access the state exam for professionals. It is considered among the most prestigious Journalism Schools in Italy and allows students in addition to the usual internship periods (5 months) in the major national newspapers to also carry out workshops in the multimedia editorial office of Mediaset in Cologno Monzese. The IULM Master in Journalism has been active since 2002 and its students today represent the backbone of many of the most prestigious print, multimedia and national television publications. Reference:https://www.iulm.it/it/news-ed-eventi/news/bando-master-giornalismo-22-24Sustainable aviation fuels: agreement signed between the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility (MIMS) and the Politecnico di Torino
The Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility (MIMS) and the Politecnico di Torino have signed an important three-year collaboration agreement aimed at analyzing and promoting the use of new sustainable fuels in the transport sector, with specific reference to aviation. The objective is to define, in collaboration with ENAC, the National Aviation Authority, a national roadmap to achieve the decarbonisation goals of the sector and its integration within the International (UN-ICAO) and European initiatives, as well as monitoring the progress and implementation of sector policies. Reference Link: https://poliflash.polito.it/en/research_innovation/sustainable_aviation_fuels_agreement_signed_between_the_ministry_of_sustainable_infrastructure_and_mobility_mims_and_the_politecnico_di_torinoFree English tuition scheme for refugees
Refugees living in Edinburgh have spoken warmly of a scheme that has offered free English classes to displaced people this summer. Participants in the University of Edinburgh initiative have included people who have fled war or political unrest in Syria, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong. Also taking part in the ten-week programme have been people seeking refuge from Ukraine, who are taking part in the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme. This initiative, launched in June, has helped meet the demand for accessible English language courses across the city by offering 90 places per day to non-native speakers. Staff from the University’s Centre for Open Learning have led the flexible drop-in sessions in Holyrood campus, which run until the end of August. Registration is now open for classes starting in September. Reference Link: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/free-english-tuition-scheme-for-refugeesInternational students awarded a fifth of places at top UK universities
The Russell Group has awarded a fifth of places at its 24 institutions across the UK to overseas students, it has emerged. This year’s A-level results left many pupils scrambling for places at universities through clearing due to a drop in top marks. The Conservative-led government’s bid to tackle grade inflation resulted in exams marked harder this year, leaving large a lot of school-leavers disappointed in their results. Exams were held this year for the first time since before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, with pupils graduating in the last two years graded by their teachers. About 34,000, or 22.4 per cent, of the 152,000 places at Britain’s top universities have been allotted to international students. Learners coming from abroad pay higher fees than UK students. The Russell Group includes Oxford, Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Southampton universities, as well as leading London institutions such as King’s, Imperial, UCL and Queen Mary. Reference Link: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/08/19/international-students-awarded-a-fifth-of-places-at-top-uk-universities/37 French Institutions Are Now Part of European Universities Initiative
16 existing alliances and four newly established ones have been confirmed by the European Commission, taking the total number of French institutions becoming part of the European Universities initiative to 37. These alliances, with each of them collaborating with different French institutions, will have a €272 million budget at disposal. In addition, these new and existing alliances and institutions have allowed France to be considered the most committed country to this initiative, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. “Europe makes progress towards its objective of an even deeper commitment of European higher education institutions and students in an initiative more than ever a factor of quality in training, scientific excellence, innovation and European civic spirit,” the French Ministry of Higher Education pointed out. Reference Link: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/37-french-institutions-are-now-part-of-european-universities-initiative/Simultaneous enrolment in two different degree programmes
From the 2022-2023 academic year, students can enrol in no more than two programmes at the same university or at two different universities, one of which international, or at Italian or international Higher Education Institutions for Art and Music. In particular, simultaneous enrolment is possible: in two Bachelor's degree programmes in two Master's degree programmes in one Bachelor's and one Master's degree programme (if the student holds another Bachelor's degree as an entry requirement); provided that the two courses do not belong to the same class and differ in at least two-thirds of their educational activities. Reference Link: https://www.uniroma1.it/en/notizia/simultaneous-enrolment-two-different-degree-programmesImperial researchers scoop £1.75m of funding for quantum physics projects
New funding for quantum science will support researchers exploring dark energy and dark matter, quantum states of sound, and the Universe’s constants. Imperial physicists have been awarded five of 17 new grants for quantum technology projects funded by UKRI’s Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics programme, from a total pot of £6m. The programme receives joint funding from the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Reference Link: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/238974/imperial-researchers-scoop-175m-funding-quantum/UK resumes priority visa services
The UK has reopened some of its priority visa services, allowing incoming international students to pay extra for a faster decision on their application ahead of the new academic year in September. The priority visa and super priority visa services for students resumed on August 12, meaning applicants who are prepared to pay more could now receive their visas in as quickly as 24 hours. The government suspended this service without prior warning in March, saying at the time that it was prioritising processing visas for Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK. Months of visa delays followed, causing some students to miss their university start dates. Stakeholders have welcomed the latest announcement, with agents believing that the change has come just in time for the upcoming academic year. Reference Link: https://thepienews.com/news/uk-resumes-priority-visa-services/“Budget-friendly” destinations gaining momentum in Europe
Demand for lower-cost and budget-friendly destinations are gaining strong momentum in Europe as international students look to tighten their belts, new data from Studyportals suggests. The star of the show is Italy, which has seen absolute demand rise by a staggering 45% in the last 12 months. Portugal is also seeing a big rise, with just under 29%, as is Poland, with just over 28%. “Italy has been gaining momentum as a more budget-friendly destination for students,” Cara Skikne, Studyportals senior editor told The PIE News. “This, together with the high quality of education and good scholarship programs has meant rising student demand. “The cost of studying and living in Italy is low, especially in smaller cities – universities are offering support to new students in finding accommodation, giving scholarships, waiving tuition fees, among others measures,” Skikne explained. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/budget-friendly-intl-student-destinations/Launching the Fitzsimmons Scholarship for Women in Leadership
After 24 years of inspirational and dedicated service, Professor Kathleen stepped back from classroom teaching in May, 2022. One of AUR’s best loved and most active professors, Professor Fitsimmons positively impacted hundreds of young lives over the course of her time with AUR – many of those students continue to hold her as a friend and mentor long after their graduation. Professor Fitzsimmons epitomizes AUR’s core values of teamwork & leadership, she has been a role model and inspiration throughout her time in the classroom. To honor her enormous and enduring contribution to AUR, and to the impact she has had on the students she came into contact with, the university (with Professor Fitzsimmons' enthusiastic support) has launched a campaign to establish The Fitzsimmons Scholarship for Women in Leadership. Reference Link: https://aur.edu/news/launching-fitzsimmons-scholarship-women-leadershipTHE RECHERCHE DATA GOUV SYSTEM OPENS
Launched by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the new web portal recherche.data.gouv.fr gives access to the entire French research environment. It provides information on available services and already contains more than 21,000 shared data files. The topic of data was already considered as early as 2020 in a report submitted to the French Prime Minister under the title For a government policy of data, and is now a subject increasingly perceived as strategic. This report pinned “the challenges regarding scientific data as factors of knowledge”. The report even stated that “if the culture of sharing between research teams had been better established, the handling and treatment of Covid-19 would certainly have been more effective and more responsive during the crisis”. Public authorities have therefore taken up this issue and have had “the ambition to respond in part to this strategic challenge by providing access to a national research data platform”. Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/the-recherche-data-gouv-system-opensPnrr, published the Mur Decree for the direct calls of excellent researchers in Italy
The Decree n. 894 of the Ministry of University and Research has defined the specific reference framework for the implementation of the investment envisaged by the Pnrr - National Recovery and Resilience Plan , aimed at supporting the entry or return to our country of young researchers . In particular, the Decree is intended for calls and hires in Italian universities, in university education institutes with a special system and in public research bodies of the winners of Starting Grants of the ERC - European Research Council and of MSCA - Marie Sk?odowska- scholarships. Curie Individual Fellowships and Marie Sk?odowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, following the calls issued under the Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Framework Programs, as well as researchers who have obtained a Seal of Excellence following participation in related calls to MSCA Shares, in the periods to be specified in the notices. Reference Link: https://www.uniroma1.it/it/notizia/pnrr-pubblicato-il-decreto-del-mur-le-chiamate-dirette-di-ricercatori-di-eccellenza-italiaUPMS: Accreditation by the World Federation for Medical Education
The University of Pécs Medical School (UP MS) has been accredited according to the criteria of the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), further strengthening the international value of the degree of the University of Pécs Medical School. As stated on the WFME website, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) has decided that from 2024, only a degree from a foreign institution that has met the criteria of the accreditation process adopted by the organisation will be allowed to be naturalised in the United States. Reference Link:https://international.pte.hu/news/upms-accreditation-world-federation-medical-educationCHOOSE FRANCE SUMMIT: FRANCE IS STILL THE MOST ATTRACTIVE COUNTRY
The 5th edition of the Choose France Summit confirms the leading position of France in terms of attractiveness for investors. With, as major announcement, the commitment of fourteen foreign companies for a total amount of 6.7 billion euros and the creation of 4,000 permanent jobs. For the past four years, the Choose France Summit, held this year at the Château de Versailles, has become a key event dedicated to the attractiveness of France and a key meeting place between foreign investors, the French government and the main French or international companies. Established by French President Emmanuel Macron, this summit aims at “presenting and explaining to major international companies the reforms carried out to promote economic activity in our country”. It is also an opportunity to highlight the importance of international investment in supporting growth, innovation and employment throughout France. Reference Link: https://www.campusfrance.org/en/choose-france-summit-france-is-still-the-most-attractive-countryCranfield celebrates partnership with the National Crime Agency
Cranfield University and the National Crime Agency (NCA), which leads the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share expertise and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. NCA leads the whole system response to serious crime to reduce the impact on the UK and its communities. Its multi-agency and multi-disciplinary function TRACER (Threat and Risk Assessment, Capability, Exploration and Research), which represents the whole intelligence and law enforcement community, leads the partnership with Cranfield to develop knowledge and new technologies for future operational capabilities. Reference Link: https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/press/news-2022/0803-cranfield-celebrates-partnership-with-the-national-crime-agency--
ANONYMOUS GIFT WILL HELP UVA RESEARCHERS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST BLOOD CANCERS
gift of more than $5.75 million from anonymous donors will allow the UVA Cancer Center to speed the development of new treatments for rare blood cancers and provide more patients with access to cutting-edge clinical trials. The gift will fund an initiative, with several projects already in the pipeline, that will help doctors better understand and treat rare blood cancers. Because these cancers are uncommon, doctors and scientists often struggle to obtain funding for potentially life-saving research. “Individually, these cancers affect relatively small numbers of people when compared with other cancers, but collectively, they touch the lives of countless patients and families,” said Dr. K. Craig Kent, chief executive officer of UVA Health and executive vice president for health affairs at the University of Virginia. “We are deeply grateful for this generous gift that will allow us to conduct important, groundbreaking cancer research and develop new treatments that will benefit patients around the world.” Reference Link: https://news.virginia.edu/content/anonymous-gift-will-help-uva-researchers-battle-against-blood-cancersStudent scores spot on FA Women’s Leadership Programme
A student from the School of Sport at the University of Wolverhampton has been accepted onto the FA University Women’s Leadership Programme. The award-winning programme, which runs in partnership with British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) aims to unlock the potential of a diverse cohort of students aspiring to work in women’s football and provide a competitive edge when entering the job market. Now in its fourth year, The University Women’s Leadership Programme seeks to bridge the gap between who students are, and what they are capable of, through theoretical and applied learning experiences. Reference Link: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/2022/august-2022/student-scores-spot-on-fa-womens-leadership-programme.php?utm_medium=Paid_Search&utm_source=Google&utm_campaign=Clearing?utm_source=GoogleLeeds academics recognised for outstanding contribution to student experience
Three academics at the University of Leeds have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to higher education with National Teaching Fellowships. Professor Bee Bond from the Language Centre and Professor Karen Burland from the School of Music have both been awarded National Teaching Fellowships (NTF) for their work at Leeds. Dr Nick Cartwright, from the School of Law, has also been awarded a NTF through a nomination from his previous institution, the University of Northampton. The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTS) recognises individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to student outcomes and the teaching profession. Reference Link: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/main-index/news/article/5132/leeds-academics-recognised-for-outstanding-contribution-to-student-experienceUniversity garden declared as one of UK’s top green spaces
The University of Bristol’s Royal Fort Gardens have been awarded the coveted Green Flag Award as it is officially recognised as one of the country’s best parks. The Royal Fort Gardens, situated in the heart of the main University of Bristol campus received the prestigious internationally accredited Green Flag Award, now in its 26th year. Previously sculptured by renowned 18th century ‘English Landscape’ designer Humphrey Repton, the views of Bristol Docks have disappeared, but the original garden still retains a wide rolling feel and many quiet and secluded garden areas, as well as a pond, floral borders, and fine trees, many with labels and QR codes which lead to an online tree map, with fascinating tree facts.European Commission looking to scale up innovation digital education solutions
The European Digital Education Hub has opened a call for applications to its accelerator programme. Innovators from all education sectors are encouraged to submit their innovative digital education solutions. Selected applicants will benefit from an intensive training and testing programme. What will the education practices experienced by the next generations look like? The Digital Education Accelerator helps education and training sectors to take substantial steps to make their digital education practices more innovative, by accelerating a hand-picked selection of creative prototypes. Reference Link: https://education.ec.europa.eu/news/european-commission-looking-to-scale-up-innovation-digital-education-solutionsAgreement to create joint research with the Vallès Oriental Waste Management Consortium
With a duration of four years, extendable for successive equal periods (up to a maximum of eight years), the objectives set are to jointly develop and execute research projects in subjects of common interest to both institutions. This collaboration will mainly focus on the execution of research projects, technological development and innovation and industrial doctorates. The search for partners will also be promoted to create consortia that can host research, development and research (R+D+I) projects, as well as find ways and sources of funding. This agreement will also encourage the organization of common activities, cooperation in training programs for the research and technical staff of the Consortium or outside this entity, the organization of activities in training programs for undergraduate students, postgraduate and master's degree from the University and the completion of master's and degree internships at the Consortium's facilities. Reference Link: https://www.upc.edu/ca/sala-de-premsa/noticies/acord-per-crear-recerca-conjunta-amb-el-consorci-per-a-la-gestio-dels-residus-del-valles-orientalMOBILITY: AGAUR MOBINT-MIF scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year
Aid for students from Catalan universities with face-to-face international stays and with academic recognition for the 2022-2023 academic year. Modalities UPC students who meet the requirements of the MOBINT -MIF call can apply for aid in: Mode A: students from Catalan universities participating in the Erasmus + Program and in the following associated countries: the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Andorra, Monaco, Sant Marino and Vatican City. Mode B: students from Catalan universities participating in international mobility programs in the rest of the world. Consult all the information on the AGAUR website(opens in a new window)where you will find in the Regulations section the text of the Call and the Regulatory Basis(opens in a new window) published by the DOGC on the MOBINT -MIF grant for the 2022-2023 academic year. Reference Link: https://telecos.upc.edu/ca/noticies/mobilitat-beques-mobint-mif-de-lagaur-per-al-curs-2022-2023Big coup for AI research in Munich
The Munich Center for Machine Learning (MCML) will receive permanent funding from the German government and the state of Bavaria. MCML, a joint initiative by the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), is one of six AI centers of excellence throughout Germany. As a result, regional research into artificial intelligence (AI) and particularly machine learning will gain considerable cachet within the knowledge hub of Munich and beyond. MCML is a joint undertaking by TUM and LMU. Its goal is to further advance basic research in the field of AI, with a strong focus on practical applications. MCML was founded in 2018 as one of six AI centers of excellence throughout Germany and has been funded since then by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). It now consists of more than 50 research groups both in basic research and in the domain of application-oriented machine learning. For the centers now definitively established after their successful evaluation, BMBF and the respective state governments will jointly provide up to 100 million euros annually in total. MCML is set to receive 19.6 million euros every year. Reference Link: https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/details/37534Peter Deuss partner in NWO Science–XL consortium on Lignin
Prof. dr. Peter Deuss of ENTEG, professor of Catalytic Processing of Sustainable Resources, is partner in a consortium that has received 2,5 M€ by NWO Science-XL. The consortium, leaded by Prof. dr. R. Offringa from Leiden University will investigate why plants develop wood and lignin in their stems. Plants can be divided into woody and non?woody species. The stems of woody species thicken through development of wood, a tissue with cells having a high lignin content in their cell walls. Also ,non?woody species produce cells with lignin deposits. This consortium brings together scientists from diverse research fields to investigate i) which genes drive wood and lignin formation, ii) if increased wood/lignin production in stems makes plants more drought tolerant and iii) which effect this has on lignin structure and whether this allows a sustainable method to harvest high value lignin from waste streams of food crops. Reference Link:https://www.rug.nl/research/enteg/news/peter-deuss-partner-in-nwo-science-xl-consortium-on-lignin#NEWS2# The “Brexit effect”: where are EU students going beyond the UK? Universities across the UK finally felt the long-anticipated hit of Brexit when applications from EU students dropped sharply last year. As the UK’s higher education sector turns to other corners of the world to make up for these waning numbers, universities across Europe have experienced a sudden increase in demand. But is their new-found popularity due to the so-called “Brexit effect”? Or, with many countries were already experiencing a long-term growth in student numbers, would this have happened anyway? The PIE News set out to investigate where European students are choosing to study instead of the UK. As it turns out, the answer is anything but simple… Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/analysis/brexit-effect-eu-students/
Two talented Utrecht researchers go to foreign institutions with Rubicon grant
Two Utrecht-based researchers who have recently received their PhDs can do their research at institutes abroad thanks to a Rubicon grant from NWO. They will study radicalization in young conspiracy thinkers, and how a benign cell transforms into a malignant tumor cell. For many researchers, experience abroad is an important step in their career. The Rubicon programme gives young, highly promising researchers the opportunity to gain international research experience at an institute that offers the best environment for their research. In total, fifteen Rubicon grants were awarded. The two Utrecht researchers that will receive a Rubicon grant are Hanne Duindam from the faculty of Social Sciences and Lieke van de Haar at UMC Utrecht. Reference Link:https://www.uu.nl/en/news/two-talented-utrecht-researchers-go-to-foreign-institutions-with-rubicon-grantResearch projects for the Decarbonisation and Energy Transition of the Valencian Community 2022
The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition calls for Research Projects for the Decarbonisation and Energy Transition of the Valencian Community 2022 Summary of the call Website of the call The deadline for submitting applications ends on August 12, 2022. To ensure correct processing and avoid incidents, the maximum internal deadline for submitting applications will be until August 4 at 2 p.m. Reference Link: https://www.uv.es/uvweb/college/en/research-tech-transfer/news/news/projectes-d-investigacio-a-la-descarbonitzacio-i-transicio-energetica-de-la-comunitat-valenciana-2022-1285855271161/Novetat.html?id=1286273009204University of Nottingham launches inclusive FinTech research hub
A new research centre focused on harnessing financial technologies to promote inclusive innovation and culture in the financial services industry has been launched by the University of Nottingham. The Centre for Inclusive Financial Technology (INFINITY) is dedicated to research that uses up-to-date modelling and data analysis techniques to improve financial inclusion. In doing so, INFINITY aims to promote financial inclusivity and social good, embracing diverse talent and communities to create the future of financial services. INFINITY will be based at the university’s Castle Meadow Campus in Nottingham city centre. Reference Link:https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/university-of-nottingham-launches-inclusive-fintech-research-hubWHO Director-General receives honorary degree
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), has received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh. The head of the world’s leading public health agency received the title of doctor honoris causa for the significant contribution he has made to raise the profile of nurses and midwifes across the globe. He received his honorary degree as part of the graduation ceremony for Nursing Studies students at the University’s historic McEwan Hall. Dr Tedros was elected at the Director General of WHO in July 2017, and was re-elected to a second term in May 2022 during the Seventy-Fifth World Health Assembly. He is the first person from WHO African Region to hold the globally-influential position. Under the leadership of Dr Tedros, the member states of the World Health Assembly designated 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Despite the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the campaign underlined the work of nurses and midwives, highlighting the challenging conditions they face, and advocated for increased investments in the workforce as part of the WHO’s commitment to health for all. Reference Link:https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/who-director-general-receives-honorary-degree-from124 million for first phase Circular Plastics NL
The government has definitively approved the first phase of Circular Plastics NL and is investing EUR 124 million from the Growth Fund. With the implementation of Circular Plastics NL, the government, companies and knowledge institutions are making an effort to achieve the circularity goals of recycling 50% of all plastics by 2030. They also strive for less plastics to go to waste incineration. The investment gives a strong impulse to Northern partnerships such as the University of the North, in which the University of Groningen is an important partner. With Circular Plastics NL, the parties fight climate change, reduce the use of fossil raw materials and reduce environmental pollution. This will strengthen the sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands. Reference Link:https://www.rug.nl/news/2022/07/124-miljoen-voor-eerste-fase-circulaire-plastics-nlCHEMICAL PRODUCTION BREAKTHROUGH COULD MAKE £9BN INDUSTRY GREENER AND CLEANER
Researchers at a Scottish university have found a greener, cleaner way to produce a common chemical relied on by multibillion-dollar industries. In a new paper published today in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, researchers from the University of Glasgow demonstrate a new method of creating anilines – chemicals commonly used in the manufacture of products including dyes, plastics and insulation, and pharmaceuticals like paracetamol. For decades, industrial chemical plants have created anilines by reacting organic compounds called nitrobenzenes with hydrogen at high temperatures and pressures. The reactions often involve catalysts made from precious metals. Reference Link:https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_860947_en.htmlScientists develop a new non-opioid pain killer with fewer side effects
Scientists develop a new non-opioid pain killer with fewer side effects Promising compound benzyloxy-cyclopentyladenosine (BnOCPA) found to be a potent and selective pain killer in test model systems BnOCPA is also selective in its action, and non-addictive, opening up the potential for the development of potent analgesics without side effects Results revealed in paper published by scientists at the University of Warwick, University of Cambridge, University of Bern, Monash University, Coventry University and industrial partners A promising new non-opioid painkiller (analgesic) with potentially fewer side effects compared to other potent painkillers, has been discovered. Reference Link:https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/scientists_develop_aBerlin universities: Winter semester planned in attendance
The Berlin universities are also planning to hold courses and teaching in attendance for the coming winter semester 2022/2023. The agreements in force for the current semester in the joint key issues paper of the State Conference of Rectors and Presidents of Berlin Universities (LKRP) and the Senate Department for Science, Health, Nursing and Equal Opportunities provide the necessary framework for this planning. The key issues paper, which takes into account nationwide requirements, is continuously reviewed and adjusted based on a regular assessment of the pandemic. The key issues paper still provides that classroom teaching can be supplemented by courses offered online if this is required for didactic reasons or the pandemic situation. The universities once again appeal to students, employees and guests to continue to voluntarily wear an FFP2 mask on campus when several people come together. In the summer semester, this precautionary measure helped to keep university operations largely in their usual form and was necessary in view of the expected worsening of the pandemic situation in autumn, it said. Reference Link:https://www.fu-berlin.de/presse/informationen/fup/2022/fup_22_119-ausblick-auf-wintersemester/index.htmlImperial students set to send reusable rocket into space
Students at Imperial College London hope to be the world’s first university team to launch a reusable rocket into space. The Karman Space Programme at Imperial plans to design, build and launch a rocket to pass the Karman Line – the internationally recognised boundary to space, roughly 100km above sea level – and then successfully return it to Earth to be used again. If successful, the Imperial team will be the first student group to achieve the remarkable feat with a reusable rocket. Reference Link:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/238211/imperial-students-send-reusable-rocket-into/135,000 int’l students apply to UK unis via UCAS
The number of international students applying through UCAS has increased by 3% since last year, the application operator has said as it released its data for June. Almost 135,000 international students have applied, with the 31,400 applicants from China representing an increase of 10% from 2021. Nigerian application numbers have also increased by 58%, while Indian applicants rose 20%. A total of 111,720 non-EU international students applied through UCAS’s process, up from 89,420 two years ago. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/135000-intl-applicants-apply-ucas/Oxford researchers become EMBO members
Three University of Oxford academics have become the latest to join the 1,900 eminent life scientists in Europe and beyond that make up the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO). Adrian Hill, Yang Shi and Ivan Ahel have been recognised for their outstanding achievements in the life sciences. As new members of EMBO, they will help to shape the direction of life sciences, foster the careers of young researchers, and strengthen research communities in Europe and beyond. Reference Link:https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-07-06-oxford-researchers-become-embo-membersUnipd is part of the international research team paving the way for the development of new pharmaceuticals
Researchers from Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale of Lausanne (EPFL), Ca 'Foscari of Venice, and the University of Padua have established a method to sustainably produce and quickly identify thousands of macrocyclic compounds, a family of pharmaceutical molecules of great interest for the treatment of serious diseases such as tumors. Published in Nature Communications, the study entitled Synthesis and direct assay of large macrocycle diversities by combinatorial late-stage modification at picomole scale show how acoustic wave technology allowed the parallel synthesis of multiple different chemical compounds in tiny reaction drops. Reference Link:https://www.unipd.it/news/unipd-part-international-research-team-paving-way-development-new-pharmaceuticalsAustrian Society of Surgery awards Theodor Billroth Prize to Vera Vorstandlechn
(Vienna, 12-07-2022) Vera Vorstandlechner from the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery of MedUni Vienna received the award for her research, which focuses on the genetic landscape of hypertrophic scars and the identification of new therapeutic approaches. The study that impressed the expert jury was published in Nature Communications in October 2021 under the title "The serine proteases dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 and urokinase are key molecules in human and mouse scar formation" (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-26495-2). In this study, Vera Vorstandlechner and her research colleagues investigated the genetic pattern of hypertrophic scars, as well as potential targetsfor new treatmentoptions. Hypertrophic scarsscars develop thickened, often painful and itchy fibrotic strands and can be a significant burden for patients afteraccidents, surgery and especially burn injuries. The research team used single cell sequencing to analyse the genetic landscape of such scars, as well as scar maturation in a mouse model. In human skin, this method identified a subtype of fibroblast significantly associated with hypertrophic scarring. By comparing this scar-specific fibroblast type with fibroblasts during scar maturation in mice, the researchers were able to identify a group of serine proteases that were equally elevated in both experimental approaches.Reference Link:https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/en/about-us/news/2022/news-in-july-2022/vera-vorstandlechner-erhaelt-theodor-billroth-preis-der-oesterreichischen-gesellschaft-fuer-chirurgie/
Four researchers from Natural Sciences receive NERD grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation
The NERD program supports original basic research in the natural sciences and technical sciences, and the four researchers from resp. The Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry receive a total of DKK 47.7 million. The overall goal of the Novo Nordisk Foundation's NERD program is to support original basic research in the natural sciences and technical sciences, including - but not limited to - physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science. The application must describe how the outcome of the project has potential interdisciplinary applications in health, life science or sustainability. The NERD projects span both far and wide, but they have in common that the grant recipients are both creative and ambitious. Reference Link:https://nat.au.dk/om-fakultetet/nyheder/nyhed/artikel/fire-forskere-fra-natural-sciences-modtager-nerd-bevillinger-fra-novo-nordisk-fondenFemale Researchers in Infectious Diseases Established
RWTH professor Gabriele Pradel is establishing Infect-Net with colleagues. An association is set to further strengthen their position in the future. Although there are many female virologists, microbiologists, and infectious diseases researchers in leadership positions at German universities and research institutes, they are usually not in the public eye. The inaccurate perception of few women being science experts was particularly evident during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, where it was primarily male virologists positioning themselves as advisors to policymakers in the media. Over the next three years, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research will provide funding for the establishment of a network of German female researchers of infectious diseases with its Innovative Women in Focus program. RWTH Professor Gabriele Pradel from the Department of Cellular and Applied Infection Biology at the Institute of Biology 2 is responsible for the Infect-Net project. The founding team includes her colleagues Petra Dersch (University of Münster), Melanie Brinkmann (Technische Universität Braunschweig), Sandra Ciesek (Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt), and Iris Bruchhaus (Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg). A total of 30 infectious diseases researchers have already joined Infect-Net. Reference Link:https://www.rwth-aachen.de/go/id/vyjux?lidx=1#aaaaaaaaaavyjxwNational Student Survey ranks University of Warwick third amongst Russell Group institutions for overall satisfaction
. Students rank Warwick third for overall satisfaction amongst the Russell Group of UK’s leading universities . Warwick moves to first place within the Russell Group for Student Voice . Final-year students score Warwick at 81.4% for overall satisfaction with their academic experience Students at the University of Warwick have the third-highest level of overall satisfaction with their academic experience of all institutions in the Russell Group of leading universities, according to the latest results of an annual survey. Reference Link:https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/national_student_survey_ranks_university_of_warwick_third_amongst_russell_group_institutions_for_overall_satisfaction_1UCC to appoint experts to enhance cancer research in Ireland following new UPMC partnership
. University College Cork and UPMC announce partnership towards the establishment of a collaborative, patient-focused cancer research environment across south of the country . UCC/UPMC partnership will see two Oncology Professors appointed as part of process to develop internationally-recognised Cancer Research Institute at UCC University College Cork (UCC) and UPMC have announced a new partnership in cancer research, starting with the appointment of two new Professors of Medical Oncology to UCC - key strategic positions in the pursuit of establishing an internationally-recognised Cancer Research Institute at the university. The appointment of the two academic oncologists, funded by UPMC, is backed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) and will establish the foundation for research collaboration between UCC, the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre, Pittsburgh. Reference Link:https://www.ucc.ie/en/news/ucc-to-appoint-experts-to-enhance-cancer-research-in-ireland-following-new-upmc-partnership.htmlDonation of 100,000 euros from Planmeca to the University of Oulu
The health technology company Planmeca, which invests in medical research, education and development, has participated in the fundraising campaign of the University of Oulu with a donation of 100,000 euros. The collaboration between the University of Oulu and Planmeca is related to medical imaging, sensor technologies and intelligent solutions in patient diagnostics and data analytics. "Our company is strongly committed to domestic product development and long-term and close cooperation with universities and health professionals. Without scientific research, there is no innovation, and with our donation we want to help promote high-quality research and product development. The University of Oulu has been a close development and research partner for us since the early days of our company," says Planmeca Group founder and CEO Heikki Kyöstilä. Reference Link:https://www.oulu.fi/en/news/donation-100000-euros-planmeca-university-ouluExcellent climate research
Young Climate Scientists Award presented The winners of the Young Climate Scientists Awards 2022 have been chosen. Three young Hamburg talents convinced the scientific jury with their theses from various disciplines of climate research. Meteorologist Katharina Holube and economics graduate Nikolai Surminski won the first prize together. Second place goes to Felix Schaumann, graduate of Integrated Climate Systems Science. Patron of the prize is Katharina Fegebank, Hamburg's second mayor and senator for science, research, equality and districts: "Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing our society. Clever minds and innovative ideas are required here. I am therefore particularly pleased that the Young Climate Scientists Award in Hamburg has established itself as an interdisciplinary prize for young talent in climate research. We need young talents who want to help shape our future. My heartiest congratulations to the winners! You are making an important contribution with your research by finding creative solutions to limit global warming.” Reference Link:https://www.uni-hamburg.de/newsroom/im-fokus/2022/0705-young-climate-scientists-award.htmlAntwerp Summer University attracts record number of participants
During the thirteenth edition, students will participate in a … yoga session on the roof of the MAS The summer holidays are approaching, but that doesn't mean that life at UAntwerp has come to a standstill. After all, more than 600 students, researchers and young professionals have registered for one of the programs of the Antwerp Summer University. There is also the 'Choice stress off, summer vibes on' project for doubting students. For the thirteenth time, UAntwerp offers high-quality courses during the summer months in the form of workshops, webinars and interactive lessons. After two summers with all kinds of corona restrictions and therefore a mainly digital offer, more than 600 participants are expected this summer. That is clearly more than the 513 enthusiasts in 2019, the last 'normal' summer. Reference Link:https://www.uantwerpen.be/nl/overuantwerpen/pers/persberichten-nieuws/2022/antwerp-summer-university/Immerse partners with Meta on VR learning
Students can now find Immerse’s educational virtual world, the first of its kind, on Meta’s VR app store. The new partnership, which launched on June 23, allows learners to take part in virtual lessons in VR in a whole world built specifically for learning languages. “The time had come for virtual reality and the metaverse to no longer be thought of as a small add-on to the classroom, but instead for platforms to go direct-to-consumer and disrupt schools head on,” said Quinn Taber, founder and CEO of Immerse. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/immerse-partners-meta-vr-learning/Looking at a hybrid approach in higher education in the endemic phase
The advent of Covid-19 threw the teaching and learning universe into a breathless adjustment period; schools, colleges and universities struggled to adapt to the new normal of primarily online learning. Institutions and educators also had to ramp up their digital capabilities hastily. Issues of connectivity and access to digital devices at the students’ end had to be addressed quickly to avoid the phenomena of ‘lost years’ in education from significantly impacting their learning progress. Parents had to also play a part in ensuring attendance and on-time submissions of assignments for their children in both schools and tertiary institutions. The world has now started its journey back to some form of pre-pandemic normalcy. However, the landscape of what constitutes normalcy has changed significantly. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/the-view-from/looking-hybrid-approach-higher-education-endemic-phase/Easter Bush hosts new STEM Centre for Excellence
Local secondary students are set to benefit from a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Centre of Excellence at the University’s Easter Bush campus. The University and Midlothian Council have recently announced their plans to build a replacement for Beeslack Community High School at this site. The council is progressing an agreement with the University to buy the land for the school. Reference Link:https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/easter-bush-hosts-new-stem-centre-for-excellenceOxford student wins PhD Student of the Year award
Josephine Agyeman-Duah, a DPhil student at the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health, has been named as the winner of the PhD Student of the Year award 2022. Josephine is part of the INTERGROWTH-21ST research group, which is dedicated to improving perinatal health, developing new fetal and newborn growth standards, and providing tools for continuity of care from conception to 5 years old. Her research focusses on neurodevelopmental assessment at age 2 for all children born preterm. The award scheme, run by FindAUniversity, received hundreds of nominations. The judges were impressed with Josephine’s research and its meaningful contribution to improve care for preterm infants during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. She has already been recognised by The Family Larsson Rosenquist Foundation as a positive change agent for making a global impact beyond her PhD studies.Three ETH start-ups win De Vigier Prize
Yesterday evening, seven Swiss startups were awarded the WA de Vigier Prize, including the two ETH spin-offs Alivion and NematX and the ETH startup Nemosia. From over 200 submitted projects, the jury of the de Vigier Foundation chose seven young Swiss entrepreneurs, each of whom will be awarded 100,000 francs. Two of them - Alivion from Menzingen and NematiX from Zurich - were founded at ETH Zurich. With Nemosia, a young company that wants to commercialize a technology developed at ETH Zurich is also successful. The ETH spin-off Diaxxo was also among the ten finalists. The jury members of the de Vigier Foundation rated the companies according to their degree of innovation, social relevance, technical and financial feasibility, market opportunities and the potential for new jobs. Reference Link:https://ethz.ch/de/news-und-veranstaltungen/eth-news/teaser/2022/06/drei-eth-start-ups-gewinnen-de-vigier-preis.htmlMobile app for fish farmers wins Imperial's top prize for women entrepreneurs
An Imperial student startup has developed affordable and integrated technology for fish farmers to monitor and troubleshoot water quality issues. Banoo, co-founded by Selly Shafira, a student on the MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management at Imperial College Business School, won the £15,000 top prize in the WE Innovate Final on 22 June for their technology to support fish farmers in Indonesia to be more productive. WE Innovate is a women’s entrepreneurship programme run by Imperial Enterprise Lab designed to inspire and accelerate the progress of women entrepreneurs. At the in-person final, five finalists went head-to-head in the hope of winning a share of a £30,000 prize pot, sponsored by bp. Reference Link:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/237594/mobile-fish-farmers-wins-imperials-prize/Application deadline for German-speaking Masters extended
The application deadline for all German-language master’s programs starting in winter semester 2022/23 has been extended to June 30, 2022. Apply today for one of the seven German-language WU master’s programs! With the award-winning programs, you will get the necessary skills and the right know-how to prepare you for a successful career in exciting industries in our digitized world. The German-language WU Master's programs also offer an inspiring space for reflection and the creation of something new - today's WU Master's graduates are tomorrow's decision-makers. "Studying at WU is more than just an apprenticeship. It means learning for life, making valuable networks and making friends. In addition to a sound education, we offer you the opportunity to grow personally in many areas. We look forward to seeing you - welcome at WU!" says WU Rector Edeltraud Hanappi-Egger. Reference Link:https://www.wu.ac.at/universitaet/news-und-events/news/details-news/detail/bewerbungsfrist-fuer-deutschsprachige-master-verlaengertAlfried Krupp Promotional Prize for Lucas T. Jae
The biochemist was awarded the renowned Alfried Krupp Prize for his research on the genetic and molecular basis of mitochondrial function. Lucas T. Jae uses a unique screening system to study the role of mitochondria in human disease processes. Mitochondria are cell organelles that are considered the "power plants of the cell". Since they play a key role in metabolism, defects in them lead to severe, mostly incurable diseases in humans, such as a number of hereditary metabolic disorders and myopathies as well as age-related diseases in the areas of neurodegeneration and cardiovascular diseases. Mitochondrial stress processes are easy to depict in models, but are largely not understood in humans. Reference Link:https://www.lmu.de/de/newsroom/newsuebersicht/news/alfried-krupp-foerderpreis-fuer-lucas-t.-jae.htmlQS World Ranking: the University of Szeged is the best Hungarian university
The University of Szeged has been ranked the best Hungarian university in this year's Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) University world ranking. The result acknowledges the university’s outstanding national and international educational programmes, its research activity and artistic performance. The institution managed to maintain its 551st-560th position among a significantly higher number of nominees. The University of Szeged has maintained its prestigious 551-560th position in the British Quacquarelli Symonds’ (QS) University World Ranking for 2023. This year there was a significantly higher number of nominees evaluated by the organization, the world's leading provider of higher education rankings. QS has consistently been ranking the University of Szeged as the best Hungarian higher education institution for more than a decade. Reference Link:https://u-szeged.hu/news-and-events/2022/qs-world-ranking-the?objectParentFolderId=26349Online textbook service launched for “fair access”
Course material provider Cengage has launched its new service, Cengage Unlimited for Institutions, which will give students access to over 10,000 digital textbooks and study resources, in addition to the company’s online learning platforms. Universities can subscribe on behalf of their students, potentially reducing the number of textbooks students are required to purchase. The program, which was launched last week and is now available to institutions in the UK, Middle East and North Africa, also includes a skills building and careers service, which the company says will help students to cope at university and develop their employability skills. Cengage Unlimited was piloted at three universities in Ireland, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. Eoin Langan, dean of the faculty of business at Technological University Dublin, one of the pilot institutions, said that the program has provided an “affordable alternative to the purchase of textbooks” and that automatic grading, part of the online learning platforms, “helps our lecturers monitor student progress and understanding”. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/subscription-textbook-service/Marmara University Göztepe Girls' Dormitory Opened
Marmara University has a new dormitory for girls. In line with the cooperation between Marmara University and GYODER, the building that was previously used by the School of Banking and Insurance on Göztepe Campus was converted into a girls' dormitory and opened as Marmara University Göztepe Girls' Dormitory. Governor of Istanbul Ali Yerlikaya, Rector of Marmara University Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, GYODER Chairman of the Board Mehmet Kalyoncu and many guests from the business world, as well as university administrators and students. In his opening speech, Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said, “In addition to its historical beauties, Istanbul, which has been a university city since 1453, has nearly 825,000 university students as of today. In higher education, an area where we compete with the world, we, as the Istanbul city administration, are constantly striving for the accommodation of the students. Simultaneously, we are trying to come up with solutions by meeting with our YÖK President and our Rectors. Istanbul, the 13th largest metropolis of the world, currently has a capacity of 101,108 people for our students. It is important that our universities and YÖK act by considering the need for accommodation of universities in Istanbul to open new quotas and approach the issue carefully. Ministry of Youth and Sports with the title of dormitory, We will continue to produce solutions by holding meetings with the YÖK Presidency and Rectorates. We want to increase the capacity that currently meets the needs of 101,108 people," he said. Stating that the students staying in the dormitories on the campus go to school on foot, but 80% of the students in Istanbul use public transportation to go to school from the dormitory, Yerlikaya stated that this should be reversed by increasing the number of dormitories on or near the campus. Reference Link:https://www.marmara.edu.tr/news/marmara-universitesi-goztepe-kiz-ogrenci-yurdu-acildiMaynooth University helps to future proof Dublin’s skies
Maynooth University is collaborating on research into the future of drone flights as part of an initiative to accelerate the potential of drones across local governments in Ireland. Civil defence, emergency response, public safety, and environmental monitoring applications are already realising the benefits of drone technology. This is just the start of what is possible according to a report, co-authored by Professor Tim McCarthy and Phillip Butterworth Hayes (PMI Media Ltd), on international best practices and future trends in drones. The report was supported by Maynooth University’s SFI funded U-Flyte Drone Research project. It is part of the ‘Accelerating the Potential of Drones for Local Government’ project which has been co-funded by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Public Service Innovation Fund and led by Dublin City Council’s Smart Dublin team. Reference Link:https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/faculty-social-sciences/news/maynooth-university-helps-future-proof-dublin-s-skiesChevening alumni can ‘request resettlement’
Chevening alumni remaining in Afghanistan will be able to request resettlement in the UK later this month, the British government announced on June 13. A pathway has been created with up to 1500 places available in the first year for eligible individuals and their families as part of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. The Chevening scholarship is a government-funded program, run by the FCDO and British Council, that enables individuals from other countries with “demonstrable leadership potential” to undertake a master’s degree in the UK. In January, it was reported that 23 Chevening alumni remained in Afghanistan, following the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Campaigners argue that the alumni are at particular risk of being targeted by the Taliban due to their Western ties. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/afghan-chevening-alumni-resettlement/UK launches international charter for ‘world class student experience’
UKCISA launched the UK’s first ever international student charter as part of the opening day of their annual conference in Newcastle on June 15. Ensuring a wider understanding that the UK is an international student’s “home from home” is a central tenet to the charter. Representatives from over 85 UK higher education institutions gathered together, pledging their support to providing a world-class student experience and meeting the expectations of overseas applicants from pre-arrival to graduation. Building on the successful #WeAreInternational campaign, the charter – with 5 key principles – has been written by a team of student ambassadors who shared their views on what the international student experience should look like. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/new-uk-student-charter/UCL awarded £6.5m funding to translate research into global impact
UCL has received the second highest amount of funding given to organisations across the country in the latest round of a government scheme supporting the translation of research. The university has secured £6.5m of a total £118m distributed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its Impact Acceleration Account (IAA) programme, second only to the University of Oxford. Awarded to 64 universities and research organisations, IAA investment supports critical early-stage translation of UK research to real impacts, transforming public services, creating new jobs, attracting private investment and forging new partnerships with business and charities. Reference Link:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/jun/ucl-awarded-ps65m-funding-translate-research-global-impactFive Oxford researchers awarded Future Leaders Fellowships
UKRI has announced its latest round of Future Leaders Fellowships, including five Oxford recipients.Five Oxford researchers are among 84 of the most promising research leaders across the UK to benefit from £98 million of UKRI funding to tackle major global issues and to commercialise their innovations in the UK. UKRI’s flagship Future Leaders Fellowships (FLF) are designed to enable universities and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators and to attract new people to their organisations, including from overseas. Reference Link:https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-06-15-five-oxford-researchers-awarded-future-leaders-fellowshipsYellow peas show promising results as tomorrow’s cheese
PEA PROTEIN Humans have used milk to make cheese for millennia. However, climate change and sustainability concerns are prompting us to look towards the plant kingdom for the cheeses of the future. New research from the University of Copenhagen points to the modest yellow pea, which with its high nutritional content and sustainable cultivation attributes, could become tomorrow’s plant-based cheese of choice. Per capita, Danish people are the crème de la crème of Earth’s cheese consumers. According to the International Dairy Federation (IDF), Danes lead consumption globally with 28 kilos of cheese consumed per capita in 2020. At the same time, mounting pressure on Earth’s natural resources and global climate change demand more sustainable food production, in which animal-based fare is replaced by plant-based alternatives. Reference Link:https://news.ku.dk/all_news/2022/06/yellow-peas-show-promising-results-as-tomorrows-cheese/DTU Wind and Energy Systems create value for society
With the merger of DTU Wind Energy and the Center for Electricity and Energy, Denmark has an institute that matches the development in the green transition. On 1 March this year, DTU Wind Energy and DTU's Center for Electricity and Energy merged and became DTU Wind and Energy Systems - a department that embraces several aspects of society's challenges of converting to green energy. Peter Hauge Madsen is now director of a new and larger department with a broader professionalism than what he has so far headed. And the new constellation pleases the department director. “It has been a long-cherished wish both from DTU Wind Energy and from the center that we should strengthen the collaboration. So the merger is a realization of that desire, ”says Peter Hauge Madsen. The current circumstances in Europe and the government's desire to turbo-charge the green transition with a significantly greater production of renewable energy also place demands on the institute, which is one of the world leaders in the field. Reference Link:https://www.dtu.dk/nyheder/alle-nyheder/dtu-vind-og-enegisystemer?id=81c965bf-8cb8-4d78-80b8-08f1e49feeb9University of Tartu presents research-intensive business ideas at Demo Day
A testing platform for self-driving cars, using microbes to eliminate nitrogen pollution, a wood putty that facilitates plywood production, and a spray bottle that turns tap water into a disinfectant – these are just a few examples of the solutions being developed by University of Tartu researchers that will impact our everyday lives in the near future. On Thursday, 16 June, at the Demo Day at the University of Tartu Delta Centre, the university's researchers will present to prospective partners and investors nearly 30 development ideas that have the potential to become products and services that facilitate our everyday lives. Some ideas are still in the experimental stage, while others are already being implemented in new or operating start-ups. Reference Link:https://ut.ee/en/node/139883Collaboration in Turku higher education – Health Campus is strengthening Turku’s position as a top city for health care research and development
Turku is known for its higher education institutions, Turku University Hospital, and as a hub for pharmaceutical companies. For a long time, the city has been a collaboration platform for several contributors in research and education and birthplace of new innovations. Health care competence in Turku is, in many respects, of the top quality in Finland. Since 2016, the collaboration of health care contributors has been supported by Health Campus Turku network. The network is actively looking for new operating models in the national and international health care forums and is building a shared infrastructure in the Turku economic area. – Life sciences and health care are developing rapidly as new technologies emerge. Therefore, the focus of our new collaboration projects is on health technology and its research, development, and education, says Development Director of Health Campus Turku Leena Setälä. Reference Link:https://www.utu.fi/en/news/news/collaboration-in-turku-higher-education-health-campus-is-strengthening-turkus-position-asUCD Ad Astra star Lara Gillespie receives Paris Olympic Scholarship award ahead of 2024 Summer Games
UCD Ad Astra star Lara Gillespie has received a Paris Olympic Scholarship award to aid her preparations for the 2024 Summer Games. The cyclist was one of 15 athletes granted financial support by the Olympic Federation of Ireland (OFI), who has awarded $350,000 to be distributed across thirteen sports. The Wicklow native is set to graduate from UCD this year, having studied Health and Performance Science, and was the recipient of an Ad Astra scholarship while undertaking her studies. In 2017 she won time trial silver at the Youth Olympics, and a year later she was a European junior champion (Points) and silver medallist (pursuit). In 2019 she won three track silvers at the European Juniors before becoming Ireland’s first medallist (bronze, individual pursuit) at track’s World Junior Championships. Reference Link:https://www.ucd.ie/newsandopinion/news/2022/june/09/ucdadastrastarlaragillespiereceivesparisolympicscholarshipawardaheadof2024summergames/NUI Galway celebrates seven Fulbright awardees
NUI Galway is celebrating the success of seven academics, researchers and graduates named among the 40 Fulbright Irish Awardees for 2022-2023. The Fulbright Programme in Ireland was established in 1957 and annually awards grants for Irish citizens to study, research, or teach in the US and for American citizens to do the same in Ireland. Reference Link:https://www.nuigalway.ie/about-us/news-and-events/news-archive/2022/june/nui-galway-celebrates-seven-fulbright-awardees.htmlNew study places with large screens in REC-H
On the third floor, students can use individual study areas with large monitors The Library has approximately 45 new study places on the third floor of the REC-H building, half of which have a large screen. Students can connect their laptop to this and work comfortably on a large screen or use the screen as a second screen. With the roll-out of these first new places with large screens, the Library wants to meet the various needs of students. Meeting different needs There are now three different study areas in the REC-H building. On the first floor you will find a flexible study room that can be set up in different ways: from individual study places to a collaborative space. On the second floor is a room with video call hoods, where students can follow online lectures or collaborate online. And now on the third floor, students can use individual study areas with large monitors.Alphanie Midelet, UGA doctoral student wins the national final of the MT180 competition
After a performance hailed by the jury and the public on the stage of the MC2 Auditorium in Grenoble on March 17 during the academic final, Alphanie Midelet, doctoral student at the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA), convinced the jury to the national semi-final in Paris on April 8 and has just won the Jury's first prize in the national final of the My thesis in 180 seconds (MT180) competition on May 31, 2022, organized by the CNRS and France Universities in partnership with the University of Lyons. She is also qualified for the international final of the competition which will take place in Montreal on October 6th. During the academic final, on March 17, she won the 2nd prize of the jury, and especially the public prize which opened the doors to the national semi-final in Paris on April 8 and 9 alongside Clara Laborie, doctoral student at the Center for studies and research applied to management (CERAG - UGA – Grenoble INP-UGA), 1st jury prize. Unsurprisingly, she convinced the Parisian jury with her thesis subject: "Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by continuous positive pressure: study of remote monitoring data to understand the impact of treatment modifications and predict acute events". . Reference Link:https://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/francais/alphanie-midelet-doctorante-uga-remporte-la-finale-nationale-du-concours-mt180-1078317.kjsp?RH=2320611992734654Oxford scientists win seven Royal Society of Chemistry Prizes
Five individuals and two teams from the University of Oxford have received prestigious prizes from the Royal Society of Chemistry today. The Research and Innovation Prizes celebrate brilliant individuals across industry and academia. The Horizon Prizes celebrate the most exciting, contemporary chemical science at the cutting edge of research and innovation. They are for teams or collaborations who are opening up new directions and possibilities in their field, through ground-breaking scientific developments. Reference Link:https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-06-07-oxford-scientists-win-seven-royal-society-chemistry-prizesGrants from the Jane and Aatos Erko Foundation to the University of Oulu for research in technology and medical technology
The Jane and Aatos Erko Foundation awarded a total of EUR 2.6 million in grants to two projects at the University of Oulu. In total, the Foundation awarded grants of almost € 9.3 million to 11 projects. The Jane and Aatos Erko Foundation supports high-quality research, art and culture. The May grants from the Jane and Aatos Erko Foundation focused on applications in the fields of technology. These accounted for € 8.1 million of the total grant for seven projects, including two grants for medical technology projects. "The importance of the Foundation's long-term assistance activities, which also enable new openings and risky projects, will be further emphasized this year," concludes Nils Ittonen , Chairman of the Foundation's Board . "Alongside strong medical research, the foundation's goal is to raise the award profile in the field of technology," Ittonen continues. Reference Link:https://www.oulu.fi/fi/uutiset/jane-ja-aatos-erkon-saatiolta-avustuksia-oulun-yliopistolle-tekniikan-ja-laaketieteen-teknologianNRCI awarded funding to study ocular conditions in Irish nursing home residents
Researchers will also explore nutrition, particularly carotenoid levels, as determinants for diseases such as Age-related macular degeneration Scientists from Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI), School of Health Science, at South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford have been awarded funding to investigate the prevalence of ocular pathologies and visual impairment in elderly residents of nursing homes in Ireland. Difficulty accessing medical services like eyecare According to the World Health Organisation, cataract and refractive errors are the prevailing causes of avoidable blindness, with the vast majority of individuals over fifty years of age. Technological advancements and improved living standards have yielded longer life expectancy, particularly in developed countries, like the Republic of Ireland. Nursing homes in Ireland play a crucial role in providing care to this ageing population. However, reports suggest residents in nursing homes experience difficulties accessing specific medical services, in particular eyecare. Reference Link:https://www.wit.ie/news/all_news/nrci-awarded-funding-to-study-ocular-conditions-in-irish-nursing-home-residentsQueen Mary forms strategic partnership with Universiti Sains Malaysia
Queen Mary University of London has entered into a Strategic Partnership with public research university, Universiti Sains Malaysia to further drive transnational education, research and impact opportunities. Queen Mary's President and Principal, Professor Colin Bailey, and Professor Dato’ Dr. Faisal Rafiq Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of USM, recently signed a Strategic Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to significantly deepen and extend this international partnership. By doing so, Queen Mary can share its world-leading expertise globally, consolidating its commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and innovation. University Sains Malaysia, Penang, is among the oldest institutions of higher education in Malaysia, with the university's main campus hosting over 28,000 students. USM and Queen Mary will collaborate in a number of areas over the next five years, building on the MoU signed in 2018. Reference Link:https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2022/pr/queen-mary-forms-strategic-partnership-with-universiti-sains-malaysia.html5 PhDs receive AUFF's talent awards
An anthropologist, a doctor, a psychologist, a theoretical chemist and a software engineer. 5 talented PhDs receive the Aarhus University Research Foundation's PhD prizes, which are awarded for the 20th time this year. This will take place in connection with AU's award ceremonies on Wednesday 25 May. The Aarhus University Research Foundation's talent awards go to 5 new PhDs, who within each of their disciplines have attracted extraordinary attention for their results and their dissemination of them. The prize recipients each receive DKK 50,000. The PhD award recipients have contributed new knowledge about the mentally vulnerable young people's joint reading of fiction, treatment of cardiac arrest in hospitals, emotional development in adulthood, quantum chemical method development and effective IoT data transfer. Reference Link:https://www.au.dk/nyheder/artikel/5-phder-modtager-auffs-talentpriserUK: ISEB and CENTURY partner on assessments
The Independent Schools Examinations Board in the UK has agreed a long-term strategic partnership with educational technology specialist CENTURY Tech. The companies will collaborate on initiatives aiming to “innovate the assessment sector”, beginning with improvements to the online admissions tests that pupils take as part of their application to UK independent senior schools. Changes to the Common Pre-Tests and other ISEB tests will focus on enhancing the user experience, improving accessibility for different learning needs, and broadening the data and insights available to schools on pupils’ skills and abilities, the partners said. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/uk-iseb-and-century-partner-on-k12-assessments/How sport is taking the lead in international recruitment for the UK
How sport is taking the lead in international recruitment for the UK The US sport scholarship system has always been seen as the route to education for aspiring student athletes around the world but the UK has emerged as an alternative destination that balances sporting and academic excellence. Investment in sports has been a priority for UK universities over the last decade as part of enhancing the student experience, with many campuses now routinely boasting multi-million-pound facilities. In the two years preceding the pandemic, the UK higher education sector had spent over £350m in developing sports facilities and the University of Portsmouth is the latest example, due to open its new £57m Ravelin Sports Centre in 2022 that will feature a swimming pool, climbing wall, ski simulator, sports hall and 175-station fitness suite. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/analysis/how-sport-is-taking-the-lead-in-international-recruitment-for-the-uk/Calls to enhance NZ HE funding in 2022 budget
Leading sector voices are calling for systematic funding of universities in New Zealand, prior to the announcement of this year’s national budget. New Zealand’s finance minister, Grant Robertson, is to deliver the 2022 budget on May 19. “We would like to see government invest into the university sector in a slightly more systemic way, in order to be able to develop the skills and knowledge that will actually underpin the areas that are so critical for our success in the future,” Chris Whelan, chief executive of Universities New Zealand, told The PIE. Universities New Zealand would like to see the government look at the university sector as a provider of a “potential solution” to the major areas that are likely to be the government’s focus in the forthcoming 2022 budget, Whelan noted. Challenges include climate change, post-Covid economic recovery, as well as improving the overall lives of New Zealanders, he suggested. Reference Link:https://thepienews.com/news/new-zealand-calls-for-enhancing-university-funding-in-the-2022-budget/Reproducing the energy transfer in photosynthesis
Anna Ros?awska and Guillaume Schull, who are researchers at the Surfaces et interfaces department of the Institut de physique et de chimie des matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) have succeeded in reproducing the energy transfer at work in plant photosynthesis using a model composed of three pigments (organic molecules). Guillaume Schull’s team work at the scale of a single molecule. Within this context, it launched a study of a system linked to photosynthesis. This was a first for the researcher. I didn’t know anything about the field and I found it fascinating to see how, during photosynthesis, plant leaves absorb solar energy and transform it into chemical energy. The ultimate goal is to understand how energy can be transferred from the light-collecting areas to the area responsible for using it, in such an efficient way. Reference Link:https://en.unistra.fr/unistra-news/research/reproducing-the-energy-transfer-in-photosynthesisLevelling up UK rare disease research
The UK needs new approaches to developing treatments for rare diseases, according to a new report led by UCL researchers describing how universities, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS could improve life sciences collaborations. The report authors are calling for an independent British Office for Rare Diseases, comparable to the Office of Rare Disease Research in the US. Report co-author Professor David Taylor (UCL School of Pharmacy) said: “Better treatments are already becoming available, particularly for more common forms of rare disease. The advent of cell, gene and other advanced therapies promises more gains. But progress will depend on funding early stage research in settings like universities and providing sufficient financial incentives for companies to develop and provide safe and effective licensed medicines. Reference Link:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/may/levelling-uk-rare-disease-researchRaising Awareness through Training on Green Transition Challenges
By providing a course on Environmental Transition and Societal Issues, Université Paris Cité aims to raise awareness among the student community of the Anthropocene and planetary limitations, equip them with ideas on growth and degrowth, and help them become active players in the green transition. At a time when the Ministry of Higher Education and Research recommends that, within five years, “100% of learners in the French higher education system should be trained in the green transition,” universities are opting for theoretical scientific teaching, aimed at a community of students studying science. Université Paris Cité has chosen to offer content that is accessible and understandable to everyone, without any disciplinary prerequisites, by proposing the Environmental Transition and Societal Issues teaching unit (UE). Reference Link:https://u-paris.fr/en/raising-awareness-through-training-on-green-transition-challenges/University network strengthened on Europe Day
An alliance of leading research universities has been strengthened by the addition of two new partners on Europe Day. University College Dublin and Universität Zürich are the latest members of Una Europa, a network of 11 institutions – including the University of Edinburgh – that seeks to increase collaboration and cooperation between universities from across the EU and beyond. It comes as the University today marks Europe Day, an annual celebration of peace and unity across the continent. Close collaboration Una Europa hopes to offer opportunities for facilitated teaching, learning and research across borders by working together to create a virtual ‘multi campus’ European University of the Future. Following the launch of the European Commission’s new flagship programme ‘European University Initiative’ the University joined the Alliance in 2019 to build links and investigate new transnational opportunities for collaboration with Una Europa member universities across a network of European cities. Reference Link:https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/university-network-strengthened-on-europe-dayScotland’s Future Series gets underway with podcast recordings
A new project launched by the Principal at the start of this semester to stimulate discussion and debate around Scotland’s future has taken its first major step by awarding funding to nine unique projects. Thanks to £35,000 of financial assistance from the University to support relevant research and outreach work, the Scotland’s Future Series opened its first round with applications invited for funding of up to £3000. A number of outstanding applications were received from academics, students and professional staff. The panel, comprising Professor Brad Mackay, Senior Vice-Principal and VP (International and External Relations); Professor Tom Brown, Vice-Principal (Research and Innovation); Ester Ruskuc, Director of Strategy and Policy; Niall Scott, Director of Communications; and Professor Stephen Gethins, Strategic Adviser on External Relations, awarded funding to a number of projects submitted in the first round, while several other applicants were encouraged to develop their proposals and resubmit to the next funding round. Reference Link:https://news.st-andrews.ac.uk/archive/scotlands-future-series-gets-underway-with-podcast-recordings/National Comenius Leadership Fellow grant for Jan Riezebos
The Netherlands Initiative for Education Research (NRO) and The Dutch Research Council (NWO) have decided to award the national Comenius Leadership Fellow grant 2022 to Jan Riezebos, professor of Educational Innovation at the Faculty of Economics and Business. This grant for experienced professionals in higher education is offered by the minister of education. The grant includes membership of the national Comenius Leadership Fellow network and a prize of 500,000 euros to be spent on implementing an educational innovation within the University of Groningen. The educational improvement should be of direct benefit to students in Dutch higher education; thus, it is also important that the innovation is disseminated in the national context too. NRO and NWO have been involved in the application and assessment process. It is the first time that an employee of the University of Groningen has received this national grant. Reference Link:https://www.rug.nl/feb/news/2022/national-comenius-leadership-fellow-grant-for-jan-riezebosThe basics of AI - Sweden top among summer courses
Interest in artificial intelligence is growing. This shows not least the admission figures for this year's summer courses. There, the course Basics in AI at Linköping University is the summer course in Sweden with the most accepted. This summer, a total of 1168 students want to learn more about artificial intelligence and how it can affect our future and everyday life. The basics of AI at Linköping University is the summer course in Sweden with the most accepted according to this year's figures from the University and College Council, UHR. The course is aimed both at those who want to learn a little more about what AI is and at those who want to take the first step to start working with AI. Fredrik Heintz is one of the world's foremost AI researchers and examiner for the course: - AI is a current topic that many talk about, at the same time relatively few know what it actually is. That is why it is very good that so many have chosen to learn more about this important subject. My hope is that they will have a much better understanding of what it is, and what it is not, after taking the course, he says. Reference Link:https://liu.se/nyhet/grunderna-i-ai-sverigetopp-bland-sommarkurserUniversity takes leading role in creation of new Scottish think tank
St Andrews is one of three Scottish Universities taking the helm of a dynamic new global affairs institute, launched this week (Wednesday 27 April). The Scottish Council on Global Affairs has been set up by the Universities of St Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh to provide a non-partisan hub for the sharing of Scotland’s world-leading expertise. The Council has received backing from both Scottish and UK Government Ministers as well as from across the political spectrum and wider civil society. The Council aims to forge links with civil society partners and the business community across the UK and internationally, placing their expertise on international issues at their disposal. It will support ambitious research projects designed to inform public policy and encourage wider public discussion. Reference Link:https://www.sussex.ac.uk/news/article/57635-stephen-hawking-s-famous-black-hole-paradox-solved-after-hair-raising-discoveryNew €2.8m project will seek insights into aging from pre-term births
University of Warwick research to investigate whether many age-related conditions are determined for us before we are born Project received funding from European Research Council of 2,803,123 euros In another ERC-funded project, physicists from Warwick will use NMR to study how the architecture of plant fibres changed over millions of years of evolution New research at the University of Warwick will investigate whether many of the physical and psychological effects of aging are already determined for us by the time we are born thanks to new funding of 2,803,123 euros. The European Research Council today announced the winners of its 2021 Advanced Grants competition. The funding, worth in total €624.6 million, will go to 253 leading researchers across Europe. Their work is set to provide new insights into many subjects, such as using mathematics to find better ways to use antibiotics and chemotherapy, how to protect the biodiversity of islands, exploring the Cosmic Dawn, and understanding how language sounds change over time. Reference Link:https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/new_28m_projectNew Erasmus + climate project at Køge Business School
The Ministry of Education and Research has given the green light to a new climate project, where students and teachers from HHX will collaborate with partner schools in the Netherlands, Germany and Spain to develop sustainable initiatives for their schools and local areas over the next two years. “In our international department, we have long worked to develop our idea for a new project that will sow seeds to promote climate and sustainability in schools. Our project application has now been approved, and we look forward to our students and teachers being able to help develop sustainable initiatives, ”says Tina Biil Eriksen, international coordinator at Køge Business School. During the project's 2-year period, selected HHX students will travel to the partner schools, where they will collaborate with students from the other countries. Finally, the students present their work at a climate summit at Køge Business School. Reference Link:https://khs.dk/om-khs/nyhedsarkiv/koege-handelsskole/nyt-erasmusplus-klimaprojekt-paa-koege-handelsskole/New process enables 3D printing of small and complex glass components in just a few minutes
Because of its outstanding transparency and stability when it comes into contact with heat or chemicals, glass is relevant for many high-tech applications. However, conventional processes for shaping glass are often lengthy, energy-intensive and quickly reach their limits when it comes to small and complicated components. The Freiburg materials scientists Dr. Frederik Kotz-Helmer and Prof. Dr. Bastian E RappIn cooperation with the University of California in Berkeley/USA, they have developed a new method with which very small components made of transparent glass can be produced quickly and precisely using micro 3D printing. Possible applications are, for example, components of sensors and microscopes, but also of lab-on-a-chip systems. The researchers were able to publish their results in the current issue of the renowned journal Science . Glass powder in plastic binder The new technology is based on so-called glassomer materials that Kotz-Helmer and Rapp developed at the Institute for Microsystems Technology (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg. "Glassomer materials consist of glass powder in a special plastic binder," says Kotz-Helmer, "so glass can be processed like plastic." The resulting components then go into a furnace, which burns the plastic and sinters the glass, that is compacted: "In the end, the components consist of one hundred percent highly transparent quartz glass," says Kotz-Helmer. Reference Link:https://kommunikation.uni-freiburg.de/pm/2022/neues-verfahren-ermoeglicht-3d-druck-von-kleinen-und-komplexen-bauteilen-aus-glas-in-wenigen-minutenKLAUS TSCHIRA FOUNDATION BOLSTERS FUNDING FOR HEIDELBERG INSTITUTE FOR GEOINFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Freely accessible route planners that can be quickly used after catastrophes for work by aid organisations or can point people who have difficulty walking to the route with the fewest obstructions: the Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology (HeiGIT) is working on intelligent routing and navigation services that access diverse geodata using geoinformation technologies and methods from geoinformatics. HeiGIT under the direction of Heidelberg University researcher Prof. Dr Alexander Zipf is backed by the Klaus Tschira Foundation, which has recently extended and substantially increased its funding. “We believe in the important, first-rate work HeiGIT performs and want to give the institute the necessary backing to pursue high-quality research and develop more useful applications for the good of society,” states Prof. Dr Carsten Könneker, Managing Director of the Klaus Tschira Foundation. Reference Link:https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/heigit-making-geodata-useful-for-mobility-support-and-humanitarian-aidRecruitment campaign for future doctoral students
The campaigns for interdisciplinary doctoral programs and Institutes and initiatives are renewed for this year 2022. Those of doctoral schools are also gradually arriving. Programs Institutes and initiatives Most doctoral projects offered by the Institutes and Initiatives programs are now online. Candidates must first contact the project leaders. Project leaders are invited to submit online the application they have selected to attend the auditions. With their agreement, the pre-selected candidate may then submit their application via the online form . The file must be complete to be examined. Schedule Deadline for submitting applications: May 2 Calling of candidates: May 10 Hearing before a jury: May 16 to 27 Display of results: June 3 Reference Link:https://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/actualites/campagne-de-recrutement-des-futures-doctorantes-et-futurs-doctorantsHigh-Risk Research Across Disciplinary Borders
The NOMIS Fellowship enables multidisciplinary connections in science. Many problems in modern science require researchers to think beyond the borders of their discipline. Together, neuroscience and computer science investigate how the human brain works and information theory paired with physics might help to shed light on how cells make decisions. However, science is still usually organized into departments and research fields. The NOMIS Fellowship at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria wants to support scientists in bringing disparate fields together. To draw new connections and gain insights, scientists often need to employ a multidisciplinary approach. This is exactly what the NOMIS Fellowship at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) offers. Established in 2021, this program has been made possible by the partnership between ISTA and the NOMIS Foundation. Reference Link:https://ist.ac.at/en/news/high-risk-research-across-disciplinary-borders/New photovoltaic systems planned Solar energy from the university roof
Climate protection in front of the office and seminar room - or rather above it: The UDE is planning to produce more green electricity on its roofs in the future. The first new photovoltaic systems are expected to supply energy as early as 2023. Some buildings are already equipped with the technology. The R09S and V15R buildings on the Essen campus are initially being considered, as construction work is pending here anyway. Photovoltaic systems are also to be installed on the two new car parks in Essen and Duisburg - and there are also considerations for the Future Water Campus. In a second step, other building roofs could then follow, such as the canteen building, the LD and MD buildings on the Duisburg campus and the R11T building in Essen. They are particularly well suited, as a potential analysis by the Duisburg public utility company has shown. BA, BE, LC, LX, ST could also follow in Duisburg. Reference Link:https://www.uni-due.de/2022-04-14-photovoltaikanlagen-auf-uni-dachOBIGA: a Grenoble Alpes Biodiversity Observatory has been launched!
The preservation of biodiversity does not only concern rare species on the other side of the planet, it concerns all of us and everyone can contribute to discovering it and making it known close to home. This is the meaningful vocation of the Grenoble Alpes Biodiversity Observatory: OBIGA. The project is based on the collection and centralization of naturalist data carried out in actions and by various audiences: informed walker, professional naturalist, confirmed associative naturalist or supervised student. OBIGA relies on the deployment of the GeoNature open source database management system (managed by OSUG), which generates a biodiversity atlas that can be consulted via the OBIGA website.. Data collection is done via specific tools (traps, camera-trap, etc.) used by experienced people (students, teachers) and via smartphone applications ( Pl@ntNet and iNaturalist ) chosen for their ease of use. use by non-specialist audiences (automatic identification of species) and from which data can be automatically collected by GeoNature. Reference Link:https://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/francais/obiga-un-observatoire-de-la-biodiversite-grenoble-alpes-est-lance--1049446.kjsp?RH=2320611992734654Big data in geochemistry for international research
Largest database for chemical analyses of rocks and minerals now hosted at Göttingen University Geochemistry was established as one of the central pillars of the geosciences by Victor Moritz Goldschmidt in Göttingen. It describes the formation and evolution of our planet, as well as the mass transport processes within the Earth systems. Applications of geochemistry include resource and environmental research. Large data sets are playing an increasingly important role in solving scientific questions in geochemistry. Now the University of Göttingen has inherited GEOROC, the largest geochemical database for rocks and minerals from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Mainz). The database has been revised and modernised in its structure and made available to its global users in a new form. The "GEOROC" database, the largest global data collection of rock and mineral compositions, currently contains analyses from over 20,000 individual publications (the oldest dating back to 1883) from 614,000 samples. Together, these data represent almost 32 million individual analytical values. Reference Link: https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/3240.html?id=6645Unique project studies fire smoke in detail
Everyone knows it smokes when it's burning. But what do you really know about what the smoke contains and how different fire processes affect the smoke? And how do the particles in the smoke affect the rescue personnel who are first on site when a fire is to be fought. Researchers at LTH have in a unique experiment together with the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) carried out measurements where the smoke has been studied in detail in fires in realistic environments. Reference Link:https://www.lu.se/artikel/unikt-projekt-studerar-brandrok-i-detaljEdinburgh and Kyiv strengthen links with new pairing
Reference Link:https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2022/edinburgh-and-kyiv-strengthen-links-with-new-pairiThe University and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in Ukraine are to join forces on a new strategic partnership as part of a twinning initiative. Recognising their complementary strengths and shared values, the two universities have signalled their intention to work more closely together on opportunities ranging across teaching, learning and research. Fostering connections The new partnership will strengthen existing ties between the two institutions and will boost the exchange of people and ideas, the creation of joint research initiatives and foster greater virtual connections and digital learning. Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv remains open, with many students and staff studying and working remotely.
The Dutch Microbiome Project: using large-scale population research to identify what shapes a healthy gut microbiome
People often talk about a healthy intestinal flora, but until now it has not been clear what a 'healthy' gut microbiome actually means. Researchers at the University Medical Center Groningen have now been able to properly determine the composition of a healthy gut microbiome through large-scale research in more than 8,200 Lifelines participants. The detailed analysis, reported today in Nature, allowed the UMCG team to not only compile a deep catalog of the microbiome but also to indicate which gut microbes are associated with disease and which with health. Their study also shows that people living together in a household share a more similar composition and that sharing a living environment and lifestyle has a greater influence than our genetics. Interestingly, the composition of the microbiome is not only determined by current living conditions but also by past circumstances such as the urbanicity of one’s childhood home. Reference Link:https://www.rug.nl/about-ug/latest-news/news/archief2022/nieuwsberichten/the-dutch-microbiome-project-using-large-scale-population-research-to-identify-what-shapes-a-heNew cooperation accelerates Sweden's green transition
Sweden will become a world leader in battery research and electrification of the transport sector. A new collaboration between Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University and Uppsala University will contribute with more research, more engineers and continuous competence development in battery technology and power electronics. The transport sector worldwide is currently switching to fossil-free operation and electrification is the dominant strategy. This has led to an increasing demand for research and expertise in battery development. The Swedish transport sector is in the middle of this green transformation with the goal that the vehicle fleet will be completely fossil-free by 2045, with a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 70 percent by 2030. For industry to take a leading role in the transition to an electrified society, new knowledge is needed and skills - applied research, training of engineers and further training of already professionals. Reference Link:https://www.uu.se/nyheter/artikel/?id=18462&typ=artikelThis is how sunshine electricity is stored to order
Reference Link:https://www.chalmers.se/sv/institutioner/chem/nyheter/Sidor/Sa-blir-lagrat-solsken-el-pa-bestallning.aspxA research project at Chalmers is developing an energy system that can capture solar energy, store it for up to eighteen years and release it when and where it is needed. Previously, researchers have shown how energy can be extracted as heat. Now they have taken another step and managed to get the system to produce electricity. In the long run, the new technology can power electronics that charge themselves with stored solar energy - to order. - This is a radically new way of extracting the sun's energy as electricity. We can produce electricity regardless of weather, time of day, season or geographical distance. It is a closed system that is operated without causing carbon dioxide emissions, says research leader Kasper Moth-Poulsen, professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers.
Blockchain offers a solution to post-Brexit border digitisation to build supply chain trust, research shows
Reference Link:https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/blockchain-offers-solution-post-brexit-border-digitisation-build-supply-chain-trust-research-showsAs a result of the UK leaving the European Union, logistics firms have faced additional friction at UK borders. Consequently, there have been calls for automated digital borders, but few such systems exist. Surrey researchers have now discovered that a blockchain-based platform can improve supply chain efficiency and trust development at our borders. Blockchain is a system in which a record of transactions made in bitcoin, or another cryptocurrency, are maintained across several computers that are linked in a peer-to-peer network. The blockchain based platform studied in this case is known as an RFIT platform; a pilot implementation blockchain system that links data together and ensures that this data is unalterable. This end-to-end visibility of unchangeable data helps to build trust between supply partners.
DUKE LAW AWARDED $10 MILLION CHALLENGE GRANT FROM THE DUKE ENDOWMENT
The Law School will leverage the award to increase financial aid for students through scholarships, public interest fellowships and loan repayment assistance. The Duke Endowment has given a $10 million award to Duke University to create new financial aid opportunities in the Law School and help remove economic barriers for students to study law and launch their careers. The challenge grant will provide matching funds for endowments supporting scholarships, summer and post-graduate public interest fellowships, and loan repayment assistance. Minor Shaw, Chair of the Board of Trustees at The Duke Endowment, said, "James B. Duke's original vision for Duke University included the training of lawyers and the Endowment is delighted to support this continuing tradition." Reference Link:https://today.duke.edu/2022/04/duke-law-awarded-10-million-challenge-grant-duke-endowmentThe University of Gothenburg puts in extra courses in Ukrainian
The University of Gothenburg is Sweden's leading university for education in the Ukrainian language. Now they are expanding the range and putting in extra courses for the autumn. - We do everything we can to meet the great need for language skills in Ukrainian, says Petra Platen, Deputy Head of Education at the Department of Languages and Literatures. The war in Ukraine has meant that tens of thousands of Ukrainians are expected to go to Sweden in the future. By mid-March, 14,000 had already come here and in its main scenario, the Swedish Migration Board estimates that 76,000 will seek protection in Sweden before the end of the first half of the year. This means a great need for people who have knowledge of Ukrainian, such as interpreters, mother tongue teachers, translators and officials at state and municipal authorities. Beginners course is given this fall At the Department of Languages and Literatures, courses in Ukrainian have been held since 2018. At short notice, the beginners' course Introduction to Ukrainian has now been launched this autumn. The course, which is 7.5 higher education credits and internet-based, should not have taken place until the spring of 2023. Several completely new courses are also under development and will be available as early as the autumn. Reference Link:https://www.gu.se/nyheter/goteborgs-universitet-satter-in-extra-kurser-i-ukrainskaEvent to take place showcasing fully-funded business support on offer at Lancaster University
An event taking place at Lancaster University’s flagship Health Innovation Campus will showcase the 12 business support programmes offered across the institution. The European Regional Development Fund-supported programmes offer organisations skills and innovation support across various themes, including health, cyber security and clean growth. The Programmes for Growth event on Wednesday 20 April will see SMEs invited to attend and meet some of the University’s business support teams and find out how the institution can support them and their organisation. Lancaster University currently has 12 live support projects running through to the end of June 2023. Reference Link:https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/event-to-take-place-showcasing-fully-funded-business-support-on-offer-at-lancaster-universityCleaner fuels from CO2 is the promise from the University of Surrey
Using the planet's air to create new chemicals for fuel, and other essential chemical products is the bold ambition of a new research project from the University of Surrey. The project aims to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air and use dynamic catalysis to create methanol - a valuable chemical that, made this way, could be carbon-negative. Its value could offset the cost of direct air capture. The project has been awarded £250,000 by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council through the Adventurous Energy Research for a Sustainable Net-Zero scheme. Reference Link:https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/cleaner-fuels-co2-promise-university-surreyStoneygate Trust and University of Leicester combine to create pioneering new Centre for Empathic Healthcare
The Stoneygate Trust and University of Leicester have combined to create a pioneering new Stoneygate Centre for Excellence in Empathic Healthcare. This unique £10m Centre, co-funded by the University and The Stoneygate Trust, will ensure that medical students and healthcare professionals across the UK are taught about the vital importance of empathy as an integral part of all aspects of their medical training. As part of its work, the new Centre will develop and deliver empathy-focused training for undergraduate and postgraduate healthcare students and professionals in Leicester, with the aim of making this available nationally. Reference Link:https://le.ac.uk/news/2022/april/empathic-healthBreakthrough success in provision of automated psychological therapy using virtual reality
In a landmark development, psychological therapy has been automated in virtual reality (VR). With the user guided by a virtual coach, there is no need for a real-life therapist, meaning the treatment can reach many more patients. In the largest ever clinical trial of VR for mental health, published today in The Lancet Psychiatry, and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the automated therapy was shown to work well for patients diagnosed with psychosis. The biggest benefits were experienced by those with the most challenging psychological problems. Reference Link:https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-04-05-breakthrough-success-provision-automated-psychological-therapy-using-virtual-realityUCL partners with OECD to tackle global challenges through infrastructure delivery
Dr Juliano Denicol (UCL Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction) is leading on a partnership with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to boost global social and economic development through infrastructure investment and delivery. As countries around the world work to tackle climate change and build back better post-pandemic, many are investing more heavily in implementing major projects to enable this work. The USA is one country investing heavily in infrastructure, with President Joe Biden predicting an ‘infrastructure decade’, after the House of Representatives approved the Build Back Better Act in November 2021. Major countrywide infrastructure projects, often called ‘megaprojects’, require investment running into billions of pounds of public money every year. Many fail to deliver on their goals, due to the complex challenges such projects face, from people and project management to dealing with everyday difficulties and implementing effective financial management. A pre-pandemic example in the UK is Crossrail, which is over-budget and now scheduled to open in the first half of 2022, having been delayed since 2018. Reference Link:https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2022/apr/ucl-partners-oecd-tackle-global-challenges-through-infrastructure-delivery£1.25m initiative to build a diverse energy research community
A £1.25m project is tackling the lack of diversity in energy research by harnessing the talents of researchers from all backgrounds. The University of Nottingham is part of the IGNITE Network+ which is led by Strathclyde alongside partners Imperial College London, the University of Manchester, the University of Bristol, Queen’s University Belfast and Brunel University London. The Innovation and Growth Needs Inclusion and engagement of all Talent in Energy research project aims to build an interdisciplinary community of energy researchers based on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and accessibility. The project is funded by an EDI Network+ grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), part of UK Research & Innovation and will work to support sustainable, abundant, clean and equitable energy for all, by harnessing the talents of energy researchers from all backgrounds. Reference Link:https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/1.25m-initiative-to-build-a-diverse-energy-research-communityLeeds University Rocketry Association takes launch
Theo Youds has always dreamt of going to space. Since forming the first ever rocketry association at Leeds and leading two successful rocket flights, he's set his sights on the Spaceport America Cup. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been obsessed,” says Theo, third year mechanical engineering student. “But space travel has always been one of those things you see in the movies. By building rockets, understanding how things work, I realised it’s all possible and other Leeds students are seeing it too.” Leeds University Rocketry Association (LURA) is a student-led, multi-discipline engineering team capable of designing, building and flying sub-orbital rockets. Their mission is simple: “We want to prepare the Mars generation. In the next 10 years Mars will happen and we want to make sure Leeds is a part of it.” Theo’s aspirations follow in the footsteps of Leeds alum and astronaut Matthias Maurer (Materials Science Erasmus Scheme 1993), who began a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2021 – you can read all about the role Leeds played in his journey to space in our recent magazine feature. Reference Link:https://www.leeds.ac.uk/alumni-2/news/article/5052/leeds-university-rocketry-association-takes-launchUK: Transnational education numbers continue to grow
The latest data from Universities UK International (UUKi) shows continued growth in the number of foreign students enrolled in transnational education programmes (TNE) offered by British institutions. The scale of UK higher education transnational education 2019–20 reports that there were more than 453,000 students from 225 countries and territories pursuing qualifications from 156 UK institutions in 2019/20. This represents year-over-year growth of nearly 11% for the year leading up to the start of the pandemic, and overall growth of roughly 17% over the previous five years. Just over half (50.3%) of those students were based in Asia, but significant proportions were also enrolled from the European Union (16.5%), the Middle East (13.1%), and Africa (10.7%). The following table highlights the top 20 countries by UK TNE enrolment. Reference:-https://monitor.icef.com/2021/12/uk-transnational-education-numbers-continue-to-grow/Foreign enrolment in UK higher ed surpasses 600,000-student target
The UK released a new international education strategy in March 2019. The strategy set out some concrete targets for growth through 2030, including a goal to reach a foreign enrolment of 600,000 students by that year – an overall increase of roughly 30% compared to 2017/18 levels. Just about two years later – and nearly a decade ahead of schedule – that enrolment target has already been reached. The latest data release from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) reports a total of 605,130 international students enrolled for the 2020/21 academic year. This represents a year-over-year increase of nearly 9% from 2019/20 and extends a pattern of steady growth for UK higher education over the last five years. That growth trend is all the more remarkable as it occurs alongside the UK’s departure from the European Union in January 2020 and of course the COVID-19 pandemic. “Despite fears about the potential effect of the pandemic on international student numbers, the 2020/21 student data still shows an overall increase in international first year students,” said HESA policy and research analyst Lucy Van Essen-Fishman. “First-year first degree student numbers from the EU are up by 8%, only slightly below the rate of increase for first year students overall; EU-domiciled postgraduate student enrolments are also up…The 2020/21 academic year was the last year in which EU students were guaranteed home fee status, which may have encouraged EU applicants not to defer their studies, despite the uncertain pandemic situation.” Reference:- https://communications.icef.com/e/937843/rpasses-600000-student-target-/23t2bj/106572650?h=Mxvl6Ol4C8fAYPbM4hSDODN0nCud4khV11w-50_-bsMUK: Latest UCAS release shows continued growth from non-EU markets
The latest UK data indicates that the broad patterns for British undergraduate admissions are holding steady into 2022. >A 17 February data release from UCAS reports on the admissions volumes for the key “Early Consideration Deadline” (ECD), which fell on 26 January this year. That deadline relates to undergraduate applications for admission for the coming academic year, and it is an important indicator for how overall admissions volumes will unfold. “The ECD is the largest milestone in our annual cycle,” says Des Cutchey, managing director of UCAS International. “And the numbers we see there tend to be fairly reflective of how the rest of the year is going to pan out.” Some of the key numbers for this year include: UCAS has received a total of 111,410 international applications so far in 2022. This is essentially the same as the volume in 2021 (111,630). Within that total, however, we see two contrasting trends. The number of applicants from outside of the European Union continues to rise, and grew by 5% this year to reach a total of 90,590. In contrast, the number of EU applicants fell off by 19%. There were just under 21,000 EU applicants as of the January deadline this year, which means that only about one in five international applicants to British higher education are coming from within the European Union. Not surprisingly, China and India continue to drive non-EU applicants numbers this year, with record numbers of students applying from both key markets. Applications from China grew by 12% this year for a total of 28,930, and the number of Indian students applying grew by 11% year-over-year to reach 8,660 as of the January deadline. Nigeria, meanwhile, recorded the greatest proportional increase with 47% growth and 2,380 applications. “As we recover from the Covid pandemic and see the increased opening up of international travel, this year was always going to be pivotal for the international student market,” said UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant. “Whilst applications have been very resilient throughout the pandemic, the robust demand from China, India, and Hong Kong, as well as demand from a number of new and emerging global regions, shows the enduring appeal of our world-class universities…We are expecting, as part of the journey to a projected million applications by 2026, the number of international students to grow by two-thirds.” Reference:- >https://monitor.icef.com/2022/02/uk-latest-ucas-release-shows-continued-growth-from-non-eu-markets/New online Masters course in Mediation and Dispute Resolution
Reference Link:>https://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2022/03/onlinemastersmediation/Newcastle Law School has launched a new online Master in Laws (LL.M.) degree programme in Mediation and International Commercial Dispute Resolution. Working with online education provider Mediator Academy to deliver the programme, the new skills-based course has been designed to meet the demands for quality, specialised education in international commercial dispute resolution. This is an area which is seeing exponential growth internationally. Mediator Academy has a strong track record in working with universities to design and deliver in-demand skills-based postgraduate and professional education.
UK ELT stats reveal pandemic’s impact
The latest full-year data release from English UK provides a high-level picture of how sharply the sector has been affected over the last two years by the COVID-19 pandemic. Total student weeks declined by more than a quarter year-over-year (-27%), from 261,843 weeks in 2020 to 190,939 weeks in 2021. The compiled charts below show the marked decline with the full onset of the pandemic in Q1 2020, and then a gradual recovery throughout 2021. Students weeks, notes English UK, “rose incrementally from 28,389 weeks in Q1 to 64,099 in Q4.” As we also see in the following charts, the junior market – which at its peak accounted for just over half of all ELT students in pre-pandemic times – essentially evaporated after the first quarter of 2020. With those major shifts in student volumes, segments, and even modes of delivery (89% of English UK members report providing some level of online delivery in 2021), British ELT providers also saw some important changes in sending markets last year. Reference:- >https://monitor.icef.com/2022/03/uk-elt-stats-reveal-pandemics-impact/EUA welcomes new collective member from Georgia
The EUA Council recently approved the application for full collective membership by the Standing Conference of Rectors of Georgian Public Higher Education Institutions, taking the number of national rectors’ conferences represented within EUA to 34. The Standing Conference of Rectors of Georgian Public Higher Education Institutions will thus be represented in the EUA Council, which consists of the presidents of the national university associations. The Council defines EUA’s priorities and policies and approves membership applications. It meets three times a year. The Standing Conference of Rectors of Georgian Public Higher Education Institutions was established in 2019. It has 17 founding members (public institutions) and 17 associate members (private institutions) and is the primary representative body for universities in Georgia. EUA now counts 10 university members in Georgia, six of whom are also members of the Standing Conference of Rectors. Its aims are to uphold the principles of the Magna Charta Universitatum, including academic freedom and institutional autonomy, in the Georgian higher education system, to represent universities’ interests in national policy discussions, and to support the sector in addressing common challenges. Amanda Crowfoot, EUA Secretary General, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome the Georgian rector’s conference into our family of European university associations. Cooperation with the Georgian higher education sector was already strong before and will certainly be given new momentum through this collective membership. We hope to provide our Georgian members with support through European information-sharing and best-practice exchange and, in turn, look forward to Georgian perspectives being fed into EUA’s work.” EUA was formed in 2001 as the result of a merger between the Association of European Universities (CRE) and the Confederation of European Union Rectors’ Conferences. In addition to its activities in the context of the European Union, EUA has been engaged as a key actor in the Bologna Process, an intergovernmental higher education reform process involving 49 countries, since its inception. The Republic of Georgia has been a full member of the Bologna Process since 2005.£1.25 million Project to build a diverse energy research community
Reference Link:https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2022/march/diverse-energy-community.htmlA £1.25 million project is tackling the lack of diversity in energy research by harnessing the talents of researchers from all backgrounds. The University of Strathclyde leads the IGNITE Network+ with partners Imperial College London, the University of Manchester, the University of Nottingham, the University of Bristol, Queen's University Belfast and Brunel University London. The Innovation and Growth Needs Inclusion and engagement of all Talent in Energy research project aims to build an interdisciplinary community of energy researchers based on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and accessibility.
University in Romania to allow students to pay tuition fees in cryptocurrency for first time
More than 11,000 students in Romania will be able to use cryptocurrency to pay their university tuition fees for the first time from July. The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS) will become the first higher education institution in the country to offer the payment option when admissions begin for the next academic year this summer. The move comes following a partnership between the university and a Sibiu-based start-up called Elrond. Founded by a local team of researchers, entrepreneurs and programmers, Elrond is looking to make improve on existing blockchain platforms like Bitcoin and Ethereum, including using average computers instead of high energy processors. Virtual currency payments to the university will be made in Elrond, or EGLD, a cryptocurrency developed by the start-up. Link:- https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/04/12/university-in-romania-to-allow-students-to-pay-tuition-fees-in-cryptocurrency-for-first-tiMadrid university offers young Afghan refugees prospect of a future in Spain
Nasratullah Jabarkhil fled Afghanistan to start a new life in Spain as a student at a university where he can choose what he wants to study. "Either Law or Computer Engineering. I like Law because it would allow me to integrate well in the country as I would learn the rules and the legislation here. I also like Computer Engineering because I've always liked technology," Jabarkhil told Euronews. Five years ago, the Camilo José Cela University became the first in Spain to welcome young people from areas of conflict. This year, the 'Integra' programme has allowed 40 Afghans to start a course that will help them in their professional life, starting with language lessons. "I would like to speak Spanish because I need to work," said Nasir Rahimi, another Afghan student at the university. Link:- https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/20/madrid-university-offers-young-afghan-refugees-prospect-of-a-future-in-spainTowards Equity and Inclusion in Higher Education in Europe
This Eurydice report focuses on the topic of equity and inclusion in higher education in Europe. It analyses the current level of alignment of European higher education systems with the ten Principles & Guidelines agreed by all EHEA countries as a blueprint to take forward the commitment of improving the social dimension. There are ten chapters, addressing each Principle. Each chapter opens with the full exposition of the relevant Principle and its accompanying Guidelines. Following that is a succinct explanation of how the particular Principles and Guidelines relate to equity, the methodological challenges that are addressed, and the choice of the indicators. Finally, the data collected is presented mostly in the form of maps. A scoreboard indicator at the end of each chapter summarises how the European countries perform based on the extent of implementation of the particular Guidelines. This gives the reader a clear visual picture of the current level of attention in European systems to equity and inclusion in higher education. Finally, a concluding chapter recaps the main findings of the report. The report’s prime source is information on top-level regulations and policies collected from Eurydice National Units, representing 38 education systems across 36 European countries, with the academic year 2020/2021 as a reference. Link:- https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-policies/eurydice/content/towards-equity-and-inclusion-higher-education-europe_enQueen Mary academic wins major funding for European ‘rising stars’
Reference Link: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2022/se/queen-mary-academic-wins-major-funding-for-european-rising-stars.htmlA Queen Mary academic has risen to the top of thousands of proposals to win a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant worth €2m as part of the EU’s new R&I programme Horizon Europe. ERC Consolidator Grants fund talented mid-career scientists to consolidate their teams and conduct pioneering research over 5 years on topics and with methods of their choosing. One of these ‘rising star’ researchers is Andrew McPherson, Professor of Musical Interaction in Queen Mary’s School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, who won funding for his exciting research project ‘Reflective Understanding of Digital Instruments as Musical Entanglements’ (RUDIMENTS).
A school for future Data Analysts and Digital Transformation Specialists
Reference Link:https://www.uniroma1.it/it/notizia/una-scuola-i-futuri-data-analyst-e-digital-transformation-specialistLa Sapienza participates in the activation project of the Maria Gaetana Agnesi Institute, the new school of excellence with high post-diploma technological specialization to train Data Analysts and Digital Transformation Specialists La Sapienza participates in the project of a school of excellence to train the specialists of the future in the disciplines of data and digital. The Foundation - Its 'Maria Gaetana Agnesi - Tech & Innovation Academy' is born in Rome, a school of excellence with high post-diploma technological specialization to train Data Analysts and Digital Transformation Specialists. The Foundation, financed by the Lazio Region, will have its registered office at the TIM Academy in via Angelo Emo with the aim of becoming a reference point in avant-garde training on information and communication technologies thanks to the collaboration of universities, companies and Local societies. The start of the training activities is expected by the end of the year. The Institute offers a unique training opportunity for young people by contributing to the creation of an ecosystem dedicated to the development of new skills in technological areas considered strategic for the economic development and competitiveness of the country.
New master's program on sustainable development and global health
Reference Link:https://www.uu.se/nyheter/artikel/?id=18436&typ=artikelThe autumn of 2022 marks the start of a new master's program in implementation, transformative learning and sustainability. The program focuses on learning processes and implementation of activities and projects in sustainability and global health. Neil Powell, senior lecturer at SWEDESD, Center for Research and Learning on Sustainable Development, is the program coordinator for the new program. He emphasizes the importance of finding new ways to solve the complex problems facing the world: - Today there are many so-called 'wicked problems', complex and difficult-to-solve challenges where different interests are set against each other. It can be about conflicts over water supply, how we can increase health and quality of life for all while reducing our impact on the climate, or the balance between conserving nature and biodiversity and securing food supply. These challenges cannot be met in a conventional way but require new approaches and perspectives. The new master's program has this in focus and offers an innovative education based on co-creation and interdisciplinary, says Neil Powell.
New grants and requirements/conditions per 1 September 2022
Reference Link:https://www.rug.nl/alumni/support-research-and-education/groninger-university-fund/actueel/new-grants-and-requirements-conditions-per-1-september-2022Per 1 September 2022 the GUF grants and requirements/conditions will change. This applies to grants for organizing conferences/symposia as well as travel grants for Bachelor and Master students. These new grants and requirements/conditions come into effect for all travels and conferences/symposia that start after 1 September 2022. Travels that start before 1 September 2022 but end after 1 September 2022 are covered by the current requirements/conditions.
India set to overtake China as UK’s main overseas student source
UK universities have been warned not to create a new “over-reliance” on one source country for international students after new data suggested India was set to overtake China as the biggest source of new entrants. Latest figures from the Home Office show that almost 100,000 study visas were issued to Indian nationals last year, nearly double the year before and only about 20,000 fewer than those granted to Chinese citizens. Study visas granted to Indian nationals were just 8 per cent of the total in 2018, as opposed to 23 per cent last year, while China’s share fell from 42 per cent in 2019 to 28 per cent in 2021. Although visas may not directly translate to enrolments, the data suggest that the UK is well on track to smash a goal put forward in a report led by former universities minister Lord Johnson of Marylebone for 100,000 students from India to be studying in the country by 2025: official figures show that there were already around 85,000 Indians studying at UK institutions in 2020-21, most of whom would have obtained visas before 2021. Reference Link:- https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/india-set-overtake-china-uks-main-overseas-student-sourceThe UB and Planeta Formación y Universidades create a chair on higher education studies
Reference Link: https://www.ub.edu/web/ub/ca/menu_eines/noticies/2022/03/022.htmlThe University of Barcelona and Planeta Formación y Universidades have today presented the UB Planeta Chair in Higher Education Studies, attached to the faculties of Economics and Business and Education. The Chair was proposed by four professors from the University —Amelia Díaz, Francisco Esteban, Miquel Martínez and Ernest Pons— who wanted to create a tool to delve deeper into the reality of current universities; analyze the performance of higher education institutions in their own missions, such as research and the transmission of knowledge, and above all deepen the relationship with students and the role of universities as future trainers professionals and, more generally, citizens. "The chair was created to join forces and promote new research, and also to contribute to the further dissemination of studies on higher education," explains Professor Amelia Díaz, director of the Chair. “We aim to generate a network to share and build new knowledge, so that study objectives and lines of research can be identified that can be addressed in a transdisciplinary way. With all this, elements will be provided to develop teaching policies that face the challenges posed by the digital society, and to train students who are also able to face them ", he continues. For Planeta Formación y Universidades, the creation of this chair reinforces the commitment to education as an engine of progress and development of people. Its CEO, Carlos Giménez, points out that “one of the fundamental axes of this project is to make the transfer of knowledge have a practical approach and be connected with the needs of the world of work, which is also the goal of the twenty -two educational institutions that today form the international higher education network of Planeta Formación y Universidades
New research funding for sustainable forest transitions announced
Reference Link:https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/new-research-funding-for-sustainable-forest-transitions-announced/Reversing forest loss is essential for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. We are pleased to announce that Dr Johan Oldekop has been awarded a grant of €2 million to investigate sustainable forest transitions from the European Research Council. SDG 15 aims to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of ecosystems such as forests. Amidst growing interest in natural climate solutions, such as tree planting schemes around the UN climate negotiations, the Bonn Challenge aims to restore 350 million hectares of forests globally by 2030 – an area larger than India.
Pedaling to a scholarship for Ukraine
https://www.tau.ac.il/news/cycle_student_scholarships_fundraiserTake part in a global bicycle race to raise emergency scholarships for Ukrainian male and female students Want to help displaced Ukrainian students continue their studies at Tel Aviv University? Do you have a bicycle? It's time to join hundreds of Tel Aviv University graduates from around the world in an extraordinary fundraising campaign for scholarships, organized by the American Friends of Tel Aviv University ( AFTAU ): Bicycle Journey. Reach out to the Ukrainian people The target amount for the special event, which will take place between April 3 and 10, is a $ 500,000 fundraiser. All proceeds will be donated to the Tel Aviv University Emergency Fund, which was recently launched for the benefit of Ukrainian graduate students, whose studies were discontinued due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. The fund will allow Ukrainian postgraduate and postdoctoral students to spend an entire semester at Tel Aviv University. Part of the admission requirements are Ukrainian citizenship, and proof of registration for a Ukrainian university, in any field of study and discipline.
Game-changing R&D facility to help level-up the North West
Reference Link:https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/game-changing-rd-facility-help-level-north-westA major new state-of-the-art research and development facility that is set to be a game changer for the economy in the North West of England, has officially opened today (10 March 2022). The University of Sheffield has opened a major new research and development facility to boost UK manufacturing and attract jobs to the Lancashire region The AMRC North West is based on a hugely successful model for academic and industry collaboration that has driven innovation and attracted major investment into South Yorkshire New facility will focus on advanced manufacturing sectors including aerospace, digital manufacturing, clean energy technologies and additive manufacturing Situated near Preston, the AMRC North West has been described as a ‘game changer’ for the economy of the region, and will play a key role in growing businesses, creating high value jobs, closing the skills gap and helping level-up the region.
UofG LENDS SUPPORT TO SP ENERGY NETWORKS NET ZERO PROJECTS
Reference Link: https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_837214_en.htmlResearchers from the University of Glasgow are lending their support to three new projects led by SP Energy Networks to help tackle some of the UK’s biggest and most complex network challenges. The projects, which focus on novel approaches to heat, data and digitalisation, are among a total of nine of SP Energy Networks’ newly-funded initiatives, worth £1.2m, funded by network users and consumers under the Strategic Innovation Fund, an Ofgem programme managed in partnership with Innovate UK. The projects are set to move into an early trial phase where their solutions to help move the country towards achieving its net zero emissions targets will be assessed. The SIF initiative was launched in 2021 by energy industry regulator Ofgem and Innovation UK to find and fund ambitious, innovative projects with the potential to accelerate the transition to net zero across the electricity and gas sectors.
Bristol awarded over £2 million for global particle physics research
Reference Link: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2022/march/stfc-funds-for-bristol-physics.htmlThe University has received £2.38 million to support the work of the Bristol Particle Physics Group over the next three years.The grant will fund various research projects at CERN and other international laboratories, including searching for dark matter and looking for signs of new phenomena in the decays of subatomic particles The award is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) £60 million investment in particle physics research community in the UK. Prof Joel Goldstein of Bristol’s School of Physics said: “This is an exciting time in the field - after the LHC discovery of the Higgs boson as the "missing piece" of the standard model of particle physics in 2012, we have been extensively studying the data from the LHC and elsewhere and the first major cracks in the model are beginning to show.
University of Warwick researchers receive over £2 million funding in boost to UK particle physics community
Reference Link:https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/university_of_warwick_researchers_receive_over_2_million_funding_in_boost_to_uk_particle_physics_community1Forms part of new £60 million investment by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) to keep UK at the forefront of global particle physics research Scientists investigating the Universe’s most fundamental building blocks at the University of Warwick have received £2.57 million to continue their work revealing its mysteries. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is investing £60 million as part of its continued support to the particle physics research community in the UK.This funding helps to keep the UK at the forefront of answering some of the biggest and most complex questions in science and supports the next generation of UK particle physicists. The latest particle physics experiment grants from STFC will fund teams from 18 UK universities to carry out world-leading particle physics research over the next three years. Particle physics studies the world at the smallest possible distance scales and the highest achievable energies, seeking answers to fundamental questions about the structure of matter and the composition of the Universe. The University of Warwick elementary particle physics group is making key contributions at the frontiers of high energy and flavour physics at CERN’s ATLAS and LHCb experiments.They are involved in the quest to understand the neutrino through contributions to the T2K, Hyper-K and DUNE neutrino oscillation projects.
Scientists create new lead-free piezoelectric materials
Reference Link:https://actu.epfl.ch/news/scientists-create-new-lead-free-piezoelectric-mate/EPFL researchers have discovered that gadolinium-doped cerium oxide, a compound they created in the lab, could be a promising alternative to certain piezoelectric materials: it has the same properties yet may be 100 times more effective. It’s also lead-free, unlike the best piezoelectric materials, which means that it could be employed in bio-compatible medical applications. Further research will be conducted on this highly promising compound and similar materials. Scientists at EPFL’s School of Engineering have found that by manipulating atomic defects in a lead-free material that is normally not piezoelectric, it is possible to induce a large piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectric materials are used widely in modern-day devices, such as digital watches, cars (for controlling emissions of harmful gases) and ultrasonic instruments (for medical diagnosis and imaging). “Piezoelectric materials convert electrical energy into mechanical energy and vice-versa,” says Dr. Dae-Sung Park, a postdoc at EPFL’s research group for ferroelectrics and functional oxides, headed by Prof. Dragan Damjanovic. “They are practical and versatile and can be used as force sensors, actuators for moving objects or high-frequency resonators for imaging and electronic filters.” These types of miniaturized devices with both electrical and mechanical properties are known as micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS).
The State Study Fund invites students to apply for state-supported loans for the spring semester of 2022
Reference link:https://lsmuni.lt/lt/naujienos/naujienos/valstybinis-studiju-fondas-kviecia-studentus-teikti-prasymus.htmlWe would like to inform you that the State Studies Fund, in accordance with the Description of the Procedure for Granting, Administration and Repayment of State-Supported Student Loans approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania in 2017, March 1 by resolution no. 149 “On the Implementation of the Law on Science and Studies of the Republic of Lithuania” announced the start and end dates of applications for state-subsidized loans to pay for studies, living expenses and state-subsidized loans for partial studies under international (interdepartmental) agreements. 2022 In the spring semester, students will be able to apply for an online state-sponsored loan from February 14 at 8 p.m. until March 9. 15 hours. The expected date of publication of the lists of students offered loan agreements is March 24. The following state-supported loans will be provided during the spring semester: ? loans to pay for studies. The amount of this loan during one academic year may not exceed the tuition fee or a part thereof paid by the student for the current academic year. The amount of the loan provided in the spring semester may not exceed the part of the tuition fee paid in the spring semester; ? loans for living expenses. The amount of this loan may not exceed 80 BSI (basic social benefit) amounts (EUR 3360) during one study year. The amount of loans for living expenses provided in the spring semester may not exceed 40 BSI (EUR 1680); ? loans for partial studies under international (interdepartmental) agreements. The amount of this loan during one study year may not exceed 60 BSI (basic social benefit) amounts (2520 Eur). In order to receive the above-mentioned state-supported loans, students must fill in and submit the borrower's application in the prescribed form on the Foundation's website https://studentai.vsf.lt/studentai/
and submit it to the Foundation by 2022. March 9 Please note that part of the loan for the spring semester will be paid from 2022. February 1 until July 1, when the student submits a request to the bank to transfer the remaining part of the loan to pay the tuition fee. Without an application, the second tranche of the loan is not repaid. More information about state-supported loans: https://vsf.lrv.lt/lt/studentams/vrpaskolos
Person in charge of the administration of state-supported loans at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences: Senior Specialist of the Study Center doc. dr. Jurgita Dailidavi?ien?, tel .: + (370) 620 23302, + (370) 685 47251, e-mail: e- mail: jurgita.dailidaviciene@lsmuni.lt
Study Exchange and Internship Opportunities for Students
Reference Link: https://www.vdu.lt/en/study-exchange-and-internship-opportunities-for-students/International Cooperation Department invites all students of the VMU take advantage of an opportunity and apply for student exchange and internship abroad. We offer even four different options for international mobilities: Erasmus+ studies (EU / EEA countries). Submit your applications by 14 March 2022. For Music Academy students – until February 22. VMU bilateral exchange and Erasmus+ studies (for non-EU / EEA countries). Submit your applications by 14 March 2022. Erasmus+ internships (EU / EEA countries). Submit your applications by 28 February 2022. International internships (non-EU / EEA countries). Submit your applications by 30 April 2022. Wondering where to go? On March 1–3 join Erasmus Days’22 during which you will be able to find out more about exchange opportunities. The events will allow you to get to learn more about the mobility opportunities, hear about experiences of other students, and join various interesting and meaningful initiatives. During these three days full of both online and on-site events, students will share their experiences, and will learn more about mobility.
Registration open for the second edition of the master's degree in Global Challenges for Sustainability of the CHARM-EU
Reference Link: https://www.ub.edu/web/ub/ca/menu_eines/noticies/2022/02/031.htmlThe second edition of the innovative master's degree in Global Challenges for Sustainability will begin in September 2022. Interested students can register until March 8. This program is accredited and jointly granted by the five member universities of CHARM-EU: the University of Barcelona, Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, Lorand Eotvos University in Budapest and the University of Montpellier. The master's degree, which focuses on the social issues of water, food and health, is multidisciplinary, so admission to various profiles is a priority in admission. The program consists of three mandatory phases. In the first, of a preparatory nature, general skills are worked on, especially those related to sustainability, social innovation and multidisciplinary research. In the flexible phase, students choose a module on one of the three topics of the master's degree: water, food or life and health. In the final phase, we work on a project on a specific sustainability challenge, in collaboration with a (social partner). Among the various innovative aspects of the program are the flexible course structure, integrated mobility, a broad content approach, a transdisciplinary approach, an emphasis on inclusion, and challenge-based teaching.
FA students were looking for new uses for the Ostrava Heap
Reference Link: https://www.vut.cz/vut/aktuality-f19528/studenti-fa-hledali-nova-vyuziti-pro-ostravskou-haldu-d218280With the exhibition Halda vizi - vizi halda, students of the Faculty of Architecture at BUT present the potential of the uninhabited locality Halda in Ostrava, for which they were looking for possible future uses during the semester. Student designs can be seen before entering the Milan Dobes Museum in the Ostrava Gong in the Dolni Vitkovice complex. Architecture students express their ideas related to the heap in Hrabuvka here. The exhibition is open free of charge until the end of this year.
The European funding program COST rewards Unipd
Reference Link: https://www.unipd.it/news/programma-finanziamento-europeo-cost-premia-unipdNGP-NET Non-globular proteins in molecular physiopathology is a Biomedicine project coordinated by Silvio Tosatto, professor of the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Padua , which involved 140 researchers from 33 countries around the world. It is a COST Action that took place between 2015 and 2019, and is the first of four Success Stories of the Breakthrough series , a short collection of projects funded by COST with a high scientific / social impact, which have led to a significant turning point in its research area. COST - European Cooperation in Science and Technology is the main European funding program for the creation and development of EU science networks. COST Actions do not directly finance research, but activities such as events, meetings, training schools, exchanges through which it is possible to create collaboration networks between European research groups (and not only) in any field of research and innovation. NGP-NET, which has had a significant impact in the study of non-globular proteins, has over 60 associated publications, one of which has reached 947 citations, becoming the most cited scientific article associated with a COST Action ever. Another great result for this project was the multiple networking opportunities that have allowed many European and extra-European groups engaged in research on non-globular proteins to establish new and productive collaborations.
Students can get acquainted with the future form of Udolni 53
Reference Link: https://www.vut.cz/vut/aktuality-f19528/studenti-se-mohou-seznamit-s-budouci-podobou-udolni-53-d218284?aid_redir=1The academic community of the BUT Faculty of Architecture invites students to a presentation of Pavel Nasadil's architectural study on the modernization of the Udolni 53 complex in the center of Brno. Those interested can look at the new look of the building, which should house the FA and FaVU in the future. The lecture will take place at the Faculty of Architecture, Porici 5 in the large hall A310; however, for capacity and hygiene reasons it will also be streamed via MS TEAMS after registration. You can find more information in this FB event.
LAUNCH OF THE CALL FOR PROJECTS "SCIENCE WITH AND FOR SOCIETY - SAPS 2022"
Reference Link: https://www.universite-paris-saclay.fr/actualites/lancement-de-lappel-projets-science-avec-et-pour-la-societe-saps-2022Paris-Saclay University is one of the 8 establishments to have obtained the "SAPS - science with and for society" label awarded by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Accompanied by a financial endowment, this label aims to support projects and actions that promote the development of new interfaces for dialogue between science, research and society and to strengthen the structuring of a territorial network through partnerships between educational establishments. institutions, associations and local authorities. In this context, the Diagonale · Université Paris-Saclay is launching the call for projects "science with and for society - SAPS 2022" intended to support projects promoting exchanges between the scientific community and society with a view to sharing knowledge. and dissemination of scientific, technical and industrial culture and/or citizen involvement. Funding: between €4,000 and €10,000 per project Application deadline: February 23, 2022 Information and applications - AAP SAPS 2022 If you don't have a project yet but you have an idea, a desire, an intention related to the science-society theme? Submit it via the "science-society idea box" before February 3, 2022. Applications - The science-society idea box 2022 We encourage all projects to develop in partnership or plan to develop later (artists, designers, associations, media libraries, museums, etc.) with the possible participation of doctoral students from the University on a scientific mediation mission. Information: aap.diagonale@universite-paris-saclay.fr
Recruitment campaign for doctoral programs
Reference Link: https://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/actualites/campagne-de-recrutement-pour-les-programmes-doctorauxThe campaign for interdisciplinary doctoral programs and Institutes and initiatives is renewed for this year 2022. Holders of doctoral projects can start submitting their subject via the online form. Some programs have already published topics, candidates can already apply. At the moment, this concerns I-Bio . More information on Institutes and Initiatives programs More information on interdisciplinary programs
Register for the Open University spring courses!
Reference Link:https://www.aalto.fi/fi/uutiset/ilmoittaudu-avoimen-yliopiston-kevaan-kursseilleCheck out the spring course offerings and celebrate the New Year with inspiring studies. You still have time to register for the Open University's spring 2022 courses! New courses open for enrollment throughout the winter. The entire spring study offer has already been published, and you can take a look at it from our course menu. At the Open University, you can complete your studies in all fields of study at Aalto University. You can choose studies in the fields of arts, technology and economics that interest you. We also offer language and communication studies. Start your new year by studying too and come to the Open University!
New AU research center to strengthen the digital citizen
Reference Link:https://www.au.dk/forsideelementer/nyheder/artikel/nyt-forskningscenter-skal-styrke-den-digitale-borgerA new research center is taking shape at Aarhus University. The interdisciplinary center SHAPE will focus on citizenship and democracy in a digital age. The research in the new interdisciplinary center, called SHAPE, will deal with projects that, in their own way, will shed light on the conditions of citizens in the digital society. SHAPE stands for 'Shaping Digital Citizenship' One project, for example, is to make us wiser about our 'digital doubles' - understood in the sense that the authorities have a number of data about us, which paints a picture of who we are. But are the data detailed enough - or are they too detailed? And what happens if government data is not accurate so our digital twin does not look good enough to us? Another project will examine different forms of digital activism and how we ensure that democracy can accommodate activist forces - and perhaps even be inspired by them in connection with the development of IT or new legislation. SHAPE will be realized on the basis of a green light from the board to allocate 10 million kroner from the university's strategic funds in 2022-2023 to the center. There is a great will to get the center started, emphasizes Rector Brian Bech Nielsen. “Digitization has some very obvious potential, and we must cultivate and utilize them. But at the same time, we must keep an eye on the fact that technology wants to serve us as human beings and as citizens. Not the other way around. That dimension is important to strengthen in the Danish research landscape,”he says.
Girdle muscular dystrophies: Unipd proposes a new model for the study of the disease
Reference Link: htps://www.unipd.it/news/distrofie-muscolari-cingoli-unipd-propone-nuovo-modello-studio-malattia A small molecule identified for the treatment of cystic fibrosis could also be useful for sarcoglycanopathies, rare genetic diseases belonging to the group of limb girdle muscular dystrophies for which no specific therapy is currently available. This is suggested by the results of a study CFTR corrector C17 is effective in muscular dystrophy, in vivo proof of concept in LGMDR3 , obtained in a new animal model of the disease, carried out by the research group coordinated by Dorianna Sandona, professor of the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the University of Padua and just published in the scientific journal "Human Molecular Genetics". The results emerged using this new model indicate that the CFTR C17 corrector allows a complete recovery of the strength of the treated animals, without toxic effects. «One of the great difficulties in the study of sarcoglycanopathies is the lack of suitable animal models, which however are fundamental for evaluating the effect of potential new drugs - says Dorianna Sandona -. A key part of this work was to develop a new model of one of these diseases, girdle dystrophy referred to as LGMD3, which is closer to reality than traditional cell cultures. Thanks to this new animal model - a genetically modified mouse - we were able to test for the first time in a living organism a small molecule already successfully tested in the case of cystic fibrosis: the CFTR C17 corrector ». The model consists of mice lacking the gene corresponding to the one that, in humans, encodes the protein involved in LGMDR3 dystrophies. In these animals the human gene is introduced at birth, with the mutation responsible for the disease. Once grown, mice show effects similar to those of dystrophy in humans, such as the absence from the localization on the membrane of muscle cells of a particular protein called sarcoglycan, essential for the correct functioning of muscles and, at the level of symptoms, a noticeable decrease in muscle strength. “In many cases of LGMDR3, the mutated protein is produced, but in a different form than the physiological one. For this reason, even if it could still perform its function, it is recognized as defective by the cell's quality control systems and eliminated even before it can reach its location - explains Dorianna Sandona -. Something similar happens in cystic fibrosis, where the CFTR C17 corrector has been shown to be able to recover the proteins from the "wrong" shape, allowing them to arrive at the destination site and restoring a situation similar to the physiological one. Hence the idea of evaluating the effect also in the case of sarcoglycanopathies. The most promising data of this study - underlines Sandona - is that the treatment with the corrector of the disease model mice that we have developed allows the complete recovery of muscle strength, which returns to be the same as that of healthy animals ".International iLIVE PROJECT researches palliative care in Europe
Reference Link: https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/ueber-uns/news/2021/news-im-dezember-2021/internationales-ilive-projekt-erforscht-palliativ-versorgung-in-europa/The iLIVE Project, Live well - die well, an international research project on the best care for people with advanced and incurable diseases, has put a new website online. Those responsible for the project encourage direct citizen participation by means of questions and surveys on terminal care. The international research project "The iLIVE Project, Live well - die well" aims to expand knowledge about palliative care in Europe and to provide applicable policy advice. In this project, the effectiveness and cost efficiency of two innovative interventions in end-of-life care are evaluated. The aim is to develop and evaluate a digital clinical tool to optimize drug management for the relief of symptoms that occur at the end of life, as well as an international volunteer program to support dying patients and their families in hospital. LIVE also aims to provide a deep understanding of the concerns, expectations and preferences of dying patients and their caregivers and to provide the first core outcome set for end-of-life care. Judit Simon as Principal Investigator and team, Claudia Fischer as Lead Researcher and Michael Berger, from the Department of Health Economics at the Center for Public Health at the Medical University of Vienna are working as part of the iLIVE consortium on a work package that focuses on the cost-effectiveness of these tested interventions focused . This project is fully funded by the European Union and has been running since the beginning of 2019. The consortium launched the new website to publicize their work and also provide a space for the debate on how to deal with death and dying in society today. The website with a very interactive spirit encourages visitors to share their ideas and experiences in order to enable greater community participation in terminal care, to support a good death experience and to reduce the social and individual silence that surrounds dying. Under the motto “I want to decide”, this new website comprises several areas: an area for the direct participation of visitors with questions and surveys about their opinion on terminal care; a detailed explanation of the main studies that are part of the iLIVE project, which involves 14 palliative care centers and universities in thirteen countries in Europe, America and Oceania; and a news area and calendar of activities both in person and online for people to get involved. The website is available in English and Spanish, a German version is planned.
NEW ARCHAEOGENETICS STUDY IN NATURE
Reference Link: https://www.elte.hu/content/uj-archaeogenetikai-tanulmany-a-nature-ben.t.24783In recent years, the genomes of nearly 800 prehistoric human individuals have been analyzed in a large-scale program with extensive European and American collaboration. Employees of ELKH and ELTE also took part in the research, and the results were published in a prestigious journal. The aim of the project was to map the population movements that reached the British Isles in the second half of the Bronze Age (1300–800 BC). This influx of settlers may have been related to the spread of the Celtic languages, and the settlers may have formed the basis of the later Iron Age population of the British Isles. The Central European findings were essential reference materials in the study series. The results will also serve as a basis for answering the Iron Age population history questions of our region in future research. The research team, led by researchers at York University, Harvard Medical School and the University of Vienna, found that in the second half of the Bronze Age (1300-800 BC), the gene pool of early farmers living in Europe since the Neolithic period had strengthened again and became dominant. . As a result, the genes of the Late Bronze Age populations of Central and Western Europe were more similar. By this time of the Bronze Age, extensive trade routes had already networked much of Europe, transporting bronze tools and the raw materials needed to make them. The new findings suggest that strong trade relations have also led to significant population mixing, with a major impact on the composition of Europe's future population. Unlike the Bronze Age, genetic analysis found no evidence of major population movement in the hereditary material of Iron Age communities. Researchers conclude from this that Celtic-speaking groups had arrived in the British Isles earlier, during the Bronze Age. An extensive domestic collection and research network participated in the research. The work of the Hungarian participants was coordinated by Anna Szecsenyi-Nagy (Institute of Archeogenomics, Eotvos Lorand University) and Tamas Hajdu (Department of Anthropology, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest). Additional participants The results were published by the research team on December 22, 2021 in Nature. Summary of the importance of the research
AMONG THE BEST IS THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN THE QS RANKING
Reference Link: http://www.bme.hu/hirek/20211217/A_legjobbak_kozott_a_Muegyetem_a_QS_rangsorabanBME is sixth place in the ranking of emerging European and Central Asian countries compared to last year, making it one of the top 30 universities this year. The list of Emerging Europe and Central Asia (QS University Rankings for EECA 2022 | Top Universities ) (EECA) published by the British Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) includes indicators and results from 450 universities. 16 Hungarian higher education institutions were added to the international list; and only four in the TOP50. The Technical University took the 29th place, and the second in a row shared with the University of Szeged (29th place) after the Eotvos Lorand University (26th place) in the Hungarian comparison. Compared to the QS World Rankings, EECA is a narrower ranking that provides a clearer picture of the performance of universities in emerging countries with similar funding opportunities due to its European focus. The rankings were weighted according to 10 criteria: academic and employer recognition, faculty / student ratio, number of publications per faculty, citation of publications, number of PhD holders, proportion of web appearances, foreign faculty and the proportion of students and the number of international collaborations. BME ranks first among Hungarian universities in terms of the number of publications per lecturer (21st place) and employer recognition (25th place). In terms of the number of web appearances (14th place), the university achieved the best result, and in terms of the number of international collaborations (29th place) it also finished well. Among the technical universities in Hungary, BME was the first to perform well, and BME performed well when examining the results of the technical universities of the neighboring and Visegrad countries. Lomonosov Moscow State University ranks first, followed by Charles University in Prague and Saint Petersburg State University in St. Petersburg. The first technical university on the list is the 10th Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. In the list of 450 institutions, BME and ELTE preceded the Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian and Romanian universities, only Czech and Polish universities from our region are ahead of them.
Erasmus + Scholarship for teaching / training at Aurel Vlaicu University în România
Reference Link: https://univlora.edu.al/2022/01/28/bursa-erasmus-per-mesimdhenie-trajnim-ne-universitetin-aurel-vlaicu-aurel-vlaicu-university-ne-rumani/Call for teaching mobility / training under the Erasmus + Program for the KA International Credit Mobility component at Aurel Vlaicu University în Romania. “Ismail Qemali University, Vlora în cooperation with Aurel Vlaicu University în Romania, within the “Erasmus +” Program for component KA107, invites UV staff to apply for teaching / training mobility. Number of teaching scholarships: 1 (one) Number of training scholarships: 2 (two) Travel cost: 275 Euros The distance is calculated based on the distance referred to the link: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/distance-calculator_en
Daily diet: 140 Euro / day Mobility period: Spring semester "Spring 2022"
Call for Applications! MASTER LEVEL DOUBLE DEGREE “MA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS”
Reference Link: https://www.epoka.edu.al/news-call-for-applications-master-level-double-degree-ma-in-international-business-5848.htmlEPOKA University and the University of Applied Sciences (HMBS) in Mainz, Germany offer the opportunity to apply for a MASTER LEVEL DOUBLE DEGREE “MA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS” in which EPOKA`s students of the first year of the programmes: - Master of Science in Banking and Finance; - Master of Science in Business Administration; - Master of Science in Economics; - Professional Master in Business Administration; - Professional Master in Banking and Finance. Will be able to spend their second year at HMBS with the goal of completing both the Master degree of the respective Epoka programme and the degree of a Master of Arts in International Business (MA.IB) at HMBS. The year spent at HMBS is financially supported by ERASMUS+. The students will receive travel costs and subsistence costs. APPLICATION DEADLINE: March 25, 2022 The documents must be submitted to the International Relations Office, 1st Floor, Rectorate Area, E-building, The candidates who fulfill the eligibility requirements will be invited to an interview (Exact date and time to be announced later).
Registration procedures for international students
Reference Link: https://www.news.uliege.be/cms/c_13348202/en/registration-procedures-for-international-studentsRegistration procedures for international students Admissions 2022-2023 open on the online form from Monday, 7 February 2022. Important notes for students from countries outside the European Union: The online form must be completed and the PDF documents must be uploaded before 30 April 2022. If you are an Outside EU student (with the exception of assimilated students, doctoral students, students coming in the context of an international codiplomation as well as holders of a CFWB higher diploma), you will have to pay the sum of € 200.00 (administrative fees/account) to be able to finalise your online application. This payment of € 200,00, with all bank charges at your expense, will be a condition for the examination of your application. If your application is accepted, this sum will be deducted from the registration fee. In all other cases, the down payment is not refundable. It is therefore very important to check that you meet the entry requirements. Assimilated students If you are a student in a situation of assimilation, you are exempt from paying the down payment of €200.00 for the processing of your file, on the condition that you can prove this by providing the documents relating to the selected condition of assimilation. Examination of the file The payment of the €200,00, all bank charges at your expense, is a condition for the examination of the file. Before completing the online form, please read the entry requirements and make sure that they are fulfilled. Then consult the list of documents to be provided according to your situation. You will then be able to complete the online form after consulting the warning and instructions for use.
New technology for clinical computed tomography
Reference Link: https://www.tum.de/die-tum/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/details/37179A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has for the first time integrated a new X-ray method, dark-field X-ray, into a computer tomography designed for patient use. Darkfield X-ray provides additional information to conventional X-rays. With the new prototype, three-dimensional dark-field X-ray images are possible. Computed tomography (CT) is one of the most important methods in clinics for precise and quick diagnosis. So far, conventional X-ray images have been used to convert them into a three-dimensional CT image. A new X-ray technology, dark-field X-rays, can provide additional information and depict fine tissue structures, especially in the lungs, in much more detail than before. Due to technical challenges, however, there was previously no way of examining patients with the new X-ray technology in a clinical CT device. A research team led by Franz Pfeiffer , Professor of Biomedical Physics and Director of the Munich Institute of Biomedical Engineering at TUM, has now further developed a CT device that combines both X-ray technologies. "We were able to show for the first time that dark-field X-rays can also be integrated into a clinical computer tomography. Although still a new technology, previous preclinical studies with mice already show clear advantages of dark-field computed tomography, especially for imaging lung tissue," says Franz Pfeiffer, leader of the study. The new CT prototype has already been successfully tested with a so-called thorax phantom, an artificial model of a human upper body, and is large enough for the planned use in patients.
The university labeled University Pole of Innovation (PUI)
Reference Link:https://lactu.unistra.fr/n217-edition-du-19-novembre-2021/focus/luniversite-labellisee-pole-universitaire-dinnovation-puiThe University of Strasbourg obtained on Tuesday November 16, 2021 the labeling of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation as a University Pole of Innovation (PUI). This first wave of labeling comes within the framework of the measures resulting from the Research Programming Law (LPR) around the theme “Partnership research and innovation” and launches the experimentation phase for the five selected establishments. It will allow better visibility and readability of the promotion offer and the transfer of knowledge and technology, which will facilitate relations and partnerships between the public and the private sector. “This new national labeling for the University of Strasbourg and its ecosystem is a great recognition, welcomes Michel Deneken, president of Unistra. We wish to share our experience and we are delighted to support universities which wish to innovate and which are looking for models for their strategy. It is also a new posture in the ESR: to designate universities whose mission is to support other universities. These poles will make it possible to build site identities, "signatures" to differentiate them from the specificities of the territories and industrial, technological, economic partnerships and territorial institutional ecosystems, by practicing a new collegiality within the same territorial space."
Final session of two EIT Food programs
On December 1, there will be a double summary of the EIT Food programs: RIS Government Executive Academy (GEA) and RIS Research Infrastructure Network (RIN). They are coordinated by the Faculty of Management of the University of Warsaw and the EIT Food consortium as part of the EIT Food Public Sector Representatives Activity Line. EIT Food is part of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) belonging to the European Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC), which was established to transform food ecosystems. The consortium consists of enterprises, universities, centers and research institutes from 15 countries in Europe. They want to create a future-proof and efficient food sector within a common food ecosystem. The consortiums together with the Faculty of Management of the University of Warsaw, through EIT Food PSRAL, are trying to develop the potential and vocational education in the Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) countries in Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. They run the EIT Food RIS Government Executive Academy (GEA) and EIT Food RIS Research Infrastructure Network (RIN) programs. GEA is a training program for senior public sector representatives from the EIT RIS countries to broaden their knowledge of agri-food innovation and sector regulation. RIN from 2021 (pilot implementation), supports scientific organizations in the agri-food sector with research infrastructures by providing participants with interactive training and support to increase the commercial use and visibility of their publicly funded research infrastructure. Reference Link: https://www.uw.edu.pl/sesja-finalowa-dwoch-programow-eit-food/Massive open online course Ethics of AI translated in Finnish and Swedish
Reference Link:https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/artificial-intelligence/massive-open-online-course-ethics-ai-translated-finnish-and-swedishThe open and free online course Ethics of AI is designed to help us understand what it means to use AI ethically, and what it requires from society and individuals. The course uses examples of practical issues from its collaboration partners. The Finnish and Swedish translations for the University of Helsinki’s online course Ethics of AI will open on 23 November, in connection with a seminar on information policy at the Ministry of Finances. The course will help public administration, companies, and citizens understand what it means to use AI ethically and what that requires of both society and the individual. The course has been developed in collaboration with the cities of Helsinki, Amsterdam, and London, as well as the Finnish Ministry of Finances. Since AI is increasingly being used as a support for decisions concerning citizens, new kinds of questions emerge that the course is designed to sort out. What ethical viewpoints do the users and developers of different AI systems need to take into consideration? What are the ethical stumbling blocks when e.g. handling information on people's health? How is our information used? Who is responsible for decisions made by computers? How do we use face recognition ethically? Lecturer Anna-Mari Rusanen, the person responsible for the contents of the course, wants to point out that the ethics of algorithms and intelligent technologies in general are still being formed, and the whole discussion on how to evaluate intelligent technologies socially is still ongoing.
An exploratory study has started on the effects that the lockdown has had on the quality of life
The online questionnaire is also promoted by a group of researchers from the University of Pisa and the Pisa CNR The questionnaire has been active for a few days and will allow you to evaluate the quality of life before and after the lockdown period, focusing on the levels of physical activity, the quality of sleep and the quality of movement. The online questionnaire, which can be found at bit.ly/lockdown_PA , is part of an exploratory study promoted by a group of researchers from various Italian institutions: University of Pisa, University of Milan, University of Insubria and CNR of Pisa. The Pisan contact persons are Dr. Michela Natilli of ISTI -CNR (michela.natilli@isti.cnr.it) and Dr. Alessio Rossi of the University (alessio.rossi@di.unipi.it). The aim is to analyze how the habits of Italians have changed after the gradual return to normality in recent months, identifying the main factors of change and consequently suggesting any advice to improve the quality of life or, at least, to return to the levels prior to the lockdown. In fact, from March 2020 to May 2021, there were several lockdown periods which limited, with varying degrees of severity, people's ability to move. During this difficult period, the levels of physical activity and the quality of sleep, life and movement have deteriorated throughout the population. With the arrival of summer 2021, all Italian regions returned to the white zone, thanks also to the vaccination campaign which significantly reduced the risk of contagion, allowing the population to return to the habits that the lockdown period had changed. Did the return to normal actually bring us back to behaving as we did before the lockdown? Is our perception of the quality of life still altered or is the lockdown just a bad memory now? Will we ever go back to being what we were before or has the lockdown changed us persistently? The research will try to answer these questions, through the proposed questionnaire, which will be treated in a totally anonymous form, which takes about 15 minutes to complete. Reference Link: https://www.unipi.it/index.php/news/item/22479-partito-uno-studio-esplorativo-sugli-effetti-che-il-lockdown-ha-avuto-sulla-qualita-della-vitaSTU presented the potential of MTF workplaces in Trnava for international cooperation
The scientific research and innovation potential of top modern research institutes of the Faculty of Materials Technology, STU in Trnava was presented by the management of the university and the faculty by ambassadors accredited in Slovakia. This happened as part of the "Innovation Day in the Trnava region", which was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic (MZVaEZ SR) together with the Trnava self-governing region. A delegation of managers of more than two dozen embassies operating in the Slovak Republic, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic and TTSK visited the Slovakion Scientific Research Center of Excellence for Materials and Interdisciplinary Research and the Center of Excellence for 5-Axis Machining. For these top workplaces in the field of materials research, advanced production technologies and industrial automation, it was an opportunity for wider promotion abroad. "I believe that this event will significantly help to mediate new cooperation for innovative Slovak companies and scientific research institutions, including STU," said Acting Vice-Rector Stefan Stanko. The significance of the event for MTF STU was also confirmed by Dean Milos Cambal. He considers the fact that if MZVaEZ wanted to show ambassadors in the region one exceptional company and one exceptional educational institution, it directed them directly to MTF STU in Trnava as an award for the faculty. He sees it as a confirmation of the quality of the faculty, which has a lot to offer in the field of education, cooperation with practice in the field of science and research, but also in solving specific problems of companies. "On the one hand, it is good feedback, which confirms that they know about MTF abroad, on the other hand, ambassadors from more than twenty countries will report to companies in their countries that we are a faculty with which they could cooperate," said the dean. MTF STU Milos Cambal. Reference Link: https://www.stuba.sk/sk/diani-na-stu/prehlad-aktualit/stu-predstavila-potencial-pracovisk-mtf-v-trnave-pre-medzinarodnu-spolupracu.html?page_id=14529Environmental and Risk Communication E.RI.C course registration open
Registration is now open for the 1st edition of the postgraduate course in Environmental and risk communication - E.Ri.C promoted by the University of Genoa, Department of Education - DISFOR, in partnership with TICASS - Innovative Technologies for Environmental Control and Sustainable Development. The course provides theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to promote the environmental image of public and private environmental protection bodies, companies and associations. The general reference figure is that of the "environmental information technician" defined in the National Atlas of qualifications. In particular, environmental communicators are responsible for detecting, in the context of both public and private reference, the need for environmental information to promote the sustainability of the proposed initiatives and to plan and manage awareness and information campaigns, with particular attention to environmental policies. Risk prevention. The course meets the requirements for the Liguria Region initiative "Specialize to compete" which provides for the financing of vouchers for the full reimbursement of the registration fee to residents of Liguria under 35. All participants are provided with support and assistance in compilation of the application on the website of the Liguria Region. Course structure: 250 hours entirely online starting from February 2022. Application deadline: January 11, 2022 Reference Link: https://unige.it/it/news/13683-aperte-le-iscrizioni-al-corso-in-environmental-and-risk-communication-ericComputer science: the State University algorithms in the new version of Java
The pseudorandom number generators developed by Sebastiano Vigna, professor of the IT department, are available in the new version of Java. An important contribution of the State University of Milan, with its Laboratory of Algorithmics for the Web ( LAW ) of the "Giovanni Degli Antoni" Department of Computer Science , to one of the main innovations of the latest version of one of the most popular programming languages, Java , of which Oracle has just released version 17. In fact, thanks to the work of Sebastiano Vigna , computer science teacher and scientific manager of the LAW, Java 17 uses a new package for the generation of pseudorandom numbers, which are fundamental for artificial intelligence technologies, video games and simulation. The new Java 17 package, in particular, provides all programmers with two generators designed by Professor Vigna and a new family of generators, LXM, designed in collaboration with Guy Steele, one of the original authors of Java. "Many commercial and scientific applications - explains Sebastiano Vigna -they need to simulate random behaviors, such as movement in video games, the behavior of particles in physics, or changes in weather in climatology. To achieve this, it is necessary to quickly generate random numbers, that is, numbers that come from a random source, such as the repeated toss of a coin. But using a truly random source such as flipping a coin would be a very slow process: efficient pseudorandom number generation algorithms, such as those in the new Java 17 package, are capable of generating billions of pseudorandom numbers per second. The name "pseudorandom" derives from the fact that the numbers seem to come from a random source, but are actually generated by algorithms ”. The University's Laboratory of Algorithmics for the Web (LAW), founded in 2002, is a center of excellence for this sector: already in 2016, an algorithm for the generation of pseudorandom numbers designed by Sebastiano Vigna was in fact adopted by all major browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox) by fixing a flaw in the JavaScript generator. Reference Link: https://lastatalenews.unimi.it/informatica-algoritmi-statale-nuova-versione-javaThe new publication portal brings out the expertise of TAMK's experts from one address
TAMK's publication series, the online magazine TAMKjournal and TAMK's blogs are easily accessible under a common portal. The publications can be found at: https://sites.tuni.fi/tamk-julkaisut/tamk-journal/the portal is maintained by TAMKjournal's editorial board. TAMKjournal - an online journal and learning environment The TAMKjournal online magazine offers a window into Tampere University of Applied Sciences' multidimensional activities: education, research, development and innovation. TAMKjournal has been serving as a platform for making the activities of the university community visible for six years now, and the magazine is constantly being developed. It is published as an online magazine in Finnish and English. - This autumn, we are especially familiar with taking accessibility requirements into account, says the magazine's editor-in-chief Liisa Marttila. The editorial board also includes Tuula Isosuo, Eija Lahteenmaki and Kirsi Saarinen. Reference Link: https://www.tuni.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/uusi-julkaisuportaali-tuo-tamkin-asiantuntijoiden-osaamisen-esille-yhdesta?navref=curated--grid
Virtual institutes for research and doctoral training highlighted in the EC2U forum
The virtual institutes to be built within the joint EC2U alliance of Turku and six other European universities will be presented on October 27-28. at the EC2U Forum. Research and innovation cooperation is also highlighted through the Joint Research & Innovation for Cities & Citizens project. The forum will be held in Salamanca, but can also be attended remotely. The EC2U Alliance creates innovative collaborations and forms of free movement between seven European universities and cities. The universities of Coimbra, Iasi, Jena, Pavia, Poitiers, Salamanca and Turku have been cooperating for a long time, but EC2U was accepted as an alliance of the European Universities Initiative last year. According to Piia Bjorn, Vice Rector of EC2U at the University of Turku, EC2U, which celebrates its first year of operation on November 1, has met all expectations. - Cooperation within and between work packages are open and close. Problem areas have also emerged, as decision-making bodies vary from country to country and from university to university, but so far no issues have been resolved. The international program of the University of Turku, which will be launched soon, and its measures will be implemented in many ways already in EC2U activities, Bjorn says. The meetings of the project management team have already turned their attention to the application for the extension period. Reference Link: https://www.utu.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/uutinen/tutkimuksen-ja-tohtorikoulutuksen-virtuaali-instituutit-esille-ec2unDRESDEN RESEARCHERS: INSIDE DEVELOP WIND POWER CONVERTERS FOR THE ENERGY NETWORK OF THE FUTURE
Scientists from the professorship for power electronics at TU Dresden and the industrial companies SEMIKRON and FREQCON are pooling their expertise to develop the next generation of wind converters. In the “NextWIND” research project, energy storage systems are being integrated into wind power converters, which in future will allow electricity to be supplied exclusively with renewable energies. For many years, wind energy has provided the largest share of renewable energies in Germany's electrical energy supply. In 2020, wind was the energy source with the largest share in total energy production. So far, electricity from renewable energies has been integrated into a network in which the majority of the output was provided by conventional power plants (coal and nuclear power plants). With the gradual shutdown of these generators, the rotating masses used to stabilize the grid are no longer necessary (instantaneous reserve). In conventional power plants, these short-term power reserves can provide the required power during an abrupt generation outage or a sudden increase in the consumer load in the electrical network. This is where the “NextWIND” joint research project comes into play: By integrating and using energy storage systems in wind turbines, the above-mentioned network services should be able to be provided reliably and cost-efficiently by wind turbines in the future. For this, the mode of operation of the wind converter must also be further developed from a network-downstream to a network-forming operation. A wind energy installation with an integrated energy store and a converter, which is equipped with a grid-forming control system, can thus function as a voltage source in a power grid. This means that such wind turbines are not only able to In addition, the new system has to withstand the strong fluctuations in load due to the frequently changing wind conditions for many years. In the “NextWIND” project, solutions are being developed which are intended to help ensure the desired network services cost-effectively in a wide operating range while at the same time being robust against errors. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as part of the 7th energy research program “Innovations for the Energy Transition” with a total of 1.8 million euros. Reference Link: https://tu-dresden.de/tu-dresden/newsportal/news/dresdner-forscher-innen-entwickeln-windstromrichter-fuer-das-energienetz-der-zukunftNew TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology starts
With the conversion from faculties to schools, the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has initiated a historic structural reform. The next step on Thursday was the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology. The transformation of the Technical University of Munich (TUM) is making strong progress: the new TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology has “revolutionary potential”, said TUM President Thomas F. Hofmann at the founding ceremony in Munich on Thursday. In addition to scientific and technical excellence and entrepreneurship, this school opens up an important third dimension - on the way to people-centered, socially acceptable and trustworthy innovations. Engineers, natural scientists and social sciences have to learn from each other, work together as equals and as a matter of course, stressed Hofmann. With the new school, TUM is bringing the governance and educational sciences faculties and the Munich Center for Technology in Society under one roof at the heart of the university. According to THE ranking, the education sector has taken first place this week among all German universities. The new school has 39 chairs and professorships and around 2,200 students. TUM is thus committed to shaping the social and political relationship between science and technology. The new school is intended to provide answers to the rapidly growing need for knowledge, understanding and explanation of technical sciences. Reference Link: https://www.tum.de/die-tum/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/details/36961A new international Master’s Programme in Pharmacy at the University of Helsinki
The English-language Master's Programme focuses on the study, development and safety of drugs and pharmacotherapy, with a close link to the sustainable development of pharmacy and green pharmacy. In 2022, the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Pharmacy is taking an expected step, as the international Master’s Programme in Pharmaceutical Research, Development and Safety will be launched. In the first application round, 20 student places are available in the two-year programme, whose scope is 120 credits. The degree completed in the international master’s programme is the Master of Science. Up to now, only a Finnish-language bachelor’s degree in pharmacy has provided eligibility for master's degree studies at the Faculty of Pharmacy. “The University of Helsinki’s Admission Services has received a great deal of enquiries from outside Finland about the opportunity to study pharmacy at the University. Thanks to the new international master’s programme, we will be expanding the opportunity to complete a degree to students of other fields. Specialists in drugs and drug therapies are needed in academic research and other fields of society. Graduates of the Faculty of Pharmacy can choose from a number of career options, in both the public and private sectors,” says Dean Jouni Hirvonen of the Faculty of Pharmacy. Reference Link: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/education/new-international-masters-programme-pharmacy-university-helsinkiNew educational centre for Craigmillar
Two new learning centers have officially opened in Edinburgh and Glasgow this week and are set to empower thousands of young people to achieve their academic and career ambitions. The centers in Craigmillar and Govan are a ground-breaking collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, the University of Glasgow and education charity IntoUniversity to provide additional educational support to those aged 7-18. The collaboration will connect young people, who may never have dreamed of going to university, with two of the world’s leading Higher Education Institutions, providing exceptional opportunities to support their learning and nurture their ambitions, whatever those might be. IntoUniversity Craigmillar is based at The White House. The community cafe and venue is run by the Community Alliance Trust for the benefit of the Greater Craigmillar Neighbourhoods. IntoUniversity Govan is based at The Pearce Institute in Govan, Glasgow, and a third centre in Maryhill, Glasgow, will be launched in Spring 2022 Reference Link: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2021/craigmillar-education-centre-opensBeviMI: the app for responsible consumption at the University is coming
he principles of the circular economy. At the end of the day, at 6 pm, it will be the turn of the round table, at the Centrale dell'Acqua in Milan and in streaming on all MM's social channels , which will see the presence of Cristiana Capotondi , who has been committed to promoting sustainable behavior for years , of the sustainability delegates of the three Universities (for the State University, Stefano Bocchi, professor of the Department of Environmental Sciences and Policies) and of the representatives of the Italian Committee on the World Water Contract, Coripet and MM on the interdisciplinary approach to sustainability for the promotion of responsible behavior capable of contributing to the ecological transition of the city of Milan. Finally, during the round table,contents and methods of inter-university research, based on LCA analysis, on the impact of the different water supply chains (from the network or with plastic bottles) and of the different treatments of PET waste, as well as videos related to the BeviMI project such as the video tutorials on the BeviMI app and on the operation of the eco-compactors. A page on the unimi.it portal is also dedicated to the BeviMI project , where, starting from 13 October, the QR code will be available to download the app.Last Campus Mundi application opportunity for the spring semester
The scholarship program is coming to an end, so apply now, spend your spring semester at a foreign university or company, and gain lifelong knowledge and experience! International experience and confident language skills - here’s your last chance to explore the world with Campus Mundi and gain an unbeatable advantage in the job market! Campus Mundi part-time - passport for your semester of life! Get to know yourself and the culture of a distant country while studying and developing at any university in the world! The amount of Campus Mundi part-time scholarships varies from country to country, which can mean HUF 200,000-250,000 per month. Details in the call for proposals . The program has adapted to the changed circumstances since the pandemic, so the scholarship is available in physical, virtual ( digital credit acquisition ) and semi-virtual, i.e. blended mobility forms ( details in the call for proposals ). As the entry rules of the countries are also constantly changing, you can change the form in which you participate in university education abroad even after winning the application. Campus Mundi internship - connect the pleasant with the useful! Are you planning to complete your compulsory internship for your spring semester? Gain credits and international experience at the same time! Find the right company for you and get the most out of your Campus Mundi internship abroad! Reference Link: https://u-szeged.hu/sztehirek/2021-szeptember/utolso-campus-mundi?objectParentFolderId=19355Students interested in the EU "Erasmus +" program take an English exam
On September 22-23, ASUE Department of International Relations organized an English exam at the university for those students who are interested in "Erasmus +" program , but do not have a document certifying English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge Assessment English). According to the International Relations Department, the exam participants will receive the exam results in their personal email within 1-2 days, and the students can get acquainted with the new announcements and news of "Erasmus +" program by following ASUE official website, Facebook page, Facebook of the International Relations Department page: In addition to international relations of the department of information that students this year during an English exam may be passed only one time, so those who have passed from this time, will not be able to participate in the current academic year, the department 's organized in other investigations. Reference Link: https://asue.am/am/news/students-interested-in-the-eu-erasmus-program-take-an-english-examDIGITAL GENIUSES ARE LOOKING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS THROUGH SMART CAMPAIGNS
8-10 Until October, teams of 2 to 5 will take part in a smart task to tackle a special task - to create digital data-based solutions that will save the environment and lead to a sustainable future for the world. Register your digital genius team no later than September 30th. A prize fund of 5,000 euros has been set up for the best teams, but the strongest participant will also be directly in the top 50 of Prototron. The international competition DeepHack takes place virtually for three days. This means that the teams do not meet each other and communication with mentors and other participants also takes place via the Internet. On the first and second days of the brainstorming sessions, the teams meet with mentors and active work towards the completion of the solution begins. During lunch on the third day, the teams will present the already completed solutions. Students interested in technology, data and the environment, representatives of start-ups and companies, and freelance specialists are welcome to compete. In particular, the aim is to create innovative digital solutions that help facilitate energy savings and support the transition to a circular economy and more efficient use of resources. Top-level mentors and renowned jury members The role of the mentors is to support and assist the teams during the hacking by answering their questions and specifying the challenges. Taibutalgute mentors for the Cleantech Finland project manager Kadri Piho , Tallinn University of technology transfer expert and patent attorney Mart Enn Koppel , Tallinn Strategy Center data analyst Hanna-Greta Veersalu , TCachet founding member of Kalle Palling , Tehnopol's green technology cluster manager Ragmar Saksing , RagnSellsi Marketing and Communications Rainer Pest , Upper City green revolution leader Mati Fjodorov , CEO of Cleantech Estonia Erki Ani , and Kaido Sipelgas, Team Leader of Enterprise Estonia Innovation Funding . The list may be extended. The winner of this third day of the final solutions for the presentation of the jury members, who are the Tallinn University of the green revolution, Vice-Rector Helen Sooväli-Sepping, Tallinn innovation leader Toomas Türk , Ülemiste City innovation leader Ursel Velve , K FINEST Bay Area Development Kustaa Valtonen, Telia IoT department head Vyacheslav Antipenko and IEEE Estonia expert and researcher of the Thomas Johann Seebeck Institute of Electronics Alar Kuusik. The competition is organized by TalTech together with EIT Digital, EIT Raw Materials and UltraHack. As such, this is the first similar test of strength in Estonia. Competitors and ideas that need to be solved are expected until September 30. Sign up HERE. Reference Link: https://taltech.ee/uudised/digigeeniused-otsivad-taibutalgutel-keskkonnalahendusiMATHEMATICAL HELPING HAND FOR FUTURE AAU STUDENTS
Reference Link: https://www.nyheder.aau.dk/2021/nyhed/matematisk-haandsraekning-til-kommende-aau-studerende.cid515972This year, more students than ever will be offered to participate in Aalborg University's (AAU) brush-up course in mathematics prior to the start of studies in September. The offer must strengthen the students' academic and social preconditions in order to get a good start in their studies and help to ensure that fewer students drop out. Mathematics is a cornerstone of all engineering and science educations, but also of a number of social science educations, solid mathematical competencies are a necessary prerequisite for getting off to a good start in the study. Therefore, AAU offers a brush-up course in mathematics as a prelude to the start of studies on 1 September. Here, prospective students who already have mathematics at A- or B-level will have the opportunity to refresh and practice the mathematical concepts before starting their studies. The initiative must both give the students a better start to their studies and ensure that fewer drop out because the basic mathematical competencies have not been properly dusted off. - We can see that students, who come in with a low grade in mathematics from high school or have had a longer break, often have a harder time at the beginning of their studies. This means something both for the well-being of the individual and for the risk of dropping out. Therefore, it is a really good idea to accept the offer, says Henrik Brohus, who is the leader of the First Year of Study and Admission Course and responsible for the brush-up course.
The new university-wide course will help with starting a business
Reference Link: https://www.vut.cz/vut/aktuality-f19528/novy-celouniverzitni-predmet-pomuze-s-rozjezdem-podnikani-d215077Favorite workshops come to do business! Focused on business know-how, teamwork and the preparation of own projects, this year has been transformed into a university-wide subject Development and implementation of a business idea. In the course, students will gain knowledge and skills, thanks to which they can evaluate the potential of their business idea. At the same time, they will learn to plan, create cash flow, work in a team, and assess risks and approaches to problem solving. The course will include interactive lectures and exercises, but also teamwork on projects. "One subject will not make you an entrepreneur, but it will help you find answers to where to get an idea and how to work with it? Students will learn how to find customers and how to sell. But they will also think about how much it will all cost and what not only will they gain by business, but they will also lose, "says the subject guarantor Vít Chlebovský from the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, BUT. Experts from the JIC and other experts will also be actively involved in teaching. Those interested can register in the StudIS system on September 15 from 8 am to 10 pm. The capacity of the course is 80 students per semester. In the winter semester 2021/2022, the course is scheduled for Monday afternoon, in the case of regular full-time teaching, the course will be taught once in 14 days for 4 hours. In the case of online lessons every week on Monday for 2 hours.
TUZVO begins full-time teaching on September 20, 2021 in all study programs and forms of study
Reference Link: https://www.tuzvo.sk/sk/tuzvo-zacina-prezencnu-vyucbu-20-septembra-2021-vo-vsetkych-studijnych-programoch-formach-studiaThe Operational Working Group of the TUZVO Crisis Staff (OPP KŠ TUZVO) decided at its meeting on 31 August 2021 to start teaching in the academic year 2021/2022 in full-time form, in all study programs and forms of study. This resolution applies unless the pandemic conditions deteriorate radically. The Rector appeals to the responsibility of students and staff of the university. In terms of ensuring the operation and educational process of TUZVO students, OPS KŠ TUZVO has decided, based on the valid Covid Automata, to adopt the protocol of the educational process in compliance with all principles in terms of Covid automat, ie ROR (drape, distance, hand disinfection). Entry and stay in the university, resp. participation in full-time teaching, accommodation in student dormitories (except foreign students and teachers), will be available to all employees and students of TUZVO with a strict recommendation for OTP (vaccinated, negatively tested or after overcoming Covid-19). The process of students entering accommodation in TUZVO student dormitories will begin on September 6, 2021. The TUZVO management supports the maintenance of full-time teaching in the academic year 2021/2022 to the maximum extent possible, taking into account the current conditions of the Covid vending machine. With the new academic year approaching, management is appealing to students and staff to be vaccinated as soon as their health allows. Rector prof. Rudolf Kropil asks staff and students to be responsible:"Our effort is to implement teaching in person as long as possible. Although distance learning methods are an adequate substitute for full-time, students' personal contact with teachers is irreplaceable. In the coming days, the TUZVO Crisis Staff will meet and determine the conditions of full-time teaching in the academic year 2021/2022, as well as guidelines for boarding and accommodating students in the TUZVO Student Homes. Students and staff will be informed about the conditions through the communication channels of the university, " he said. More detailed information on ensuring the educational process in the academic year 2021/2022, the regime of accommodation in TUZVO student dormitories and the regime of boarding in the student canteen during the new academic year will be the subject of a separate guideline of the TUZVO Crisis Staff, which will be available.
THE UNIVERSITY INVITES YOU TO THINK: HOW TO PROMOTE A CULTURE OF DONATION?
The Technical University invites all its employees, students and alumni to think about how to create donation habits in the university family. The best proposals will receive up to 10,000 euros to implement the idea. Reference Link: https://taltech.ee/uudised/ulikool-kutsub-kaasa-motlema-kuidas-edendada-annetamiskultuuri-0At the world's leading universities, fundraising and donation is very common, and many of the university's activities have been funded by donations through various funds, research projects and scholarships. Each of us can also contribute to the progress of TalTech, to the more exciting projects of future generations, and through it also to change society. How can you help? Suggest a specific solution that could significantly contribute to the collection of donations, whether in the form of a specific donation campaign or by improving the donation process. For what specific purposes should we raise donations? How could the donation process ideally take place? How do we ensure that donations are used in the best possible way? How to involve alumni to donate? Submit your idea by October 7! THE BEST IDEAS WILL RECEIVE UP TO 10,000 EUROS FOR TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION AND THE ASSISTANCE OF SPECIALISTS.?? “Each of us has the opportunity to contribute to the development of the University of Technology, to the more exciting projects of future generations and through it to change society. TalTech could be one of the examples and pioneers for the development of the donation culture in Estonian society at large, ”explained Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship Sven Illing , who leads the co-creation initiative and the topic of scholarships and donations at the university. "So far, the University of Technology has been supported for many years primarily by our alumni, mainly with scholarships for students," the Vice-Rector for Entrepreneurship noted.? Donations benefit students, researchers, companies, university staff and future generations. Each donation contributes to the university's pioneering research and education activities.?? How exactly do ideas come true? Submit your idea by October 7th. We get to know the ideas and invite the best to brainstorming to develop the ideas, put together teams to implement them and validate the ideas with stakeholders. The wisdom campaigns will take place on November 12 and 19. Project plans for piloting ideas are completed. The jury will evaluate the project plans and in early December we will announce 1-3 ideas for implementation in the first half of 2022. These ideas will receive expert advice and funding of up to € 10,000 according to the budget.? Donation is the first topic of TalTech's new co-creation initiative, which annually specifies challenges and seeks solutions in one specific area. In 2022, we will create solutions together on the next topic. Read more: www.taltech.ee/koosloome.
Aquarium System Development And Optimization: Another Step Towards Sustainable Food Production (FoodOASIS)
In the framework of the Research Program entitled: “Development and optimization of an aquarium system: another step for sustainable food production (FoodOASIS) we present to you the Prospectus of the program for the month of August. In addition, on the official page of the research program http://foodoasis.eu/you will find all the newsletters of the research program available. The FoodOasis project involves research teams from the two Departments of Agriculture (1: Plant Production and Rural Environment & 2: Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment) of the School of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Thessaly as well as the companies Agrostis and EMMANOUILIDIS BROS. Scientific Project Manager: Professor Nikolaos Katsoulas. Scientific Research Officers: Professor Nikolaos Katsoulas, Professor Elena Mende, Professor Konstantinos Kormas, Assistant Professor Efthymia Levizou. The program is implemented in the framework of the RESEARCH-CREATE-INNOVATE Action, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of the European Union and national resources through the OP. Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship & Innovation (EPANEK) (project code: T1EDK-01153) » https://www.uth.gr/news/anaptyxi-kai-beltistopoiisi-systimatos-enydreioponias-ena-akomi-bima-gia-tin-aeiforiki-paragogi
Great success. Students of the Faculty of Economics scored unprecedentedly in the investment competition
Students of the Faculty of Economics TUL managed to overwhelmingly beat other competitors from other universities involved in the autumn round of the investment student game Studentbroker. A fifteen-member group of our "brokers" won first place in the Stocks category. She left behind teams from eight Czech and Slovak universities. In addition, individuals occupied all the front rungs . 366 participants entered the international competition in the autumn. "This great success may be due to the fact that they are students in the field of Systems Engineering and Informatics, so they probably approached the task 'informatics' and 'data'. In other words, it was not a coincidence, but their targeted effort to monitor the markets. The success came perhaps due to the fact that they now spend more time at the computer and had time to watch what is happening in the markets, " thinks their teacher, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Economics TUL (EF) Lenka Strý?ková.Coronavirus News – Vaccine Development
The University of Pecs is working on vaccine development in partnership with the Austrian biotechnology company CEBINA. The Virological Research Group of the UP Szentágothai Research Centre started working with the Austrian company last year on active substance testing, and now they have achieved breakthrough success in vaccine development, so animal testing could begin soon. Prof. Ferenc Jakab, the leader of the Group explained that the vaccine developed by researchers in Pecs and Austria is different from Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna vaccines now available in Hungary.Montpellier Business School reveals its 2020-2025 strategic plan and builds on its values to meet the needs of a world in transition.
The result of the mobilisation of all MBS stakeholders In a world in transition and in the face of increasingly complex and fluctuating economic, social and ecological environments, MBS has chosen to build on its convictions to implement a new strategic plan up to 2025. “This plan is organized around 4 main axes, each built with the collaboration of all the school’s stakeholders: teacher-researchers, students, alumni, employees from all departments, governance and corporate partners“, says André Deljarry, President of Montpellier Business School. MBS wishes to continue and strengthen the promotion of its values of openness and inclusiveness. As a pioneer in the field of social openness, MBS intends to reaffirm its differentiating commitment to serving the general interest through action. “The school is aiming for a campus of 5,000 students, 30% of whom are international and 35% from modest SPCs, by 2025“, explains Bruno Ducasse, Managing Director of MBS. The school is committed to a rational development plan. The sustainable growth of its workforce will be driven by the launch of new programs on the themes of the digital and ecological transition together with the development of postgraduate (after the French baccalaureate) activities in France and abroad. To embody its difference, the school will structure its CSR expertise around a new area of excellence called “BEST” Today, nearly 25% of MBS research publications include CSR-related issues and MBS is also one of the Grandes Ecoles with the highest number of teaching hours on this topic. “Our objective is now to structure our expertise around a high-level field”, says Bruno Ducasse. The Programs and Faculty Departments are planning to integrate a new “BEST” (Business Environmental & Social Transition) course of excellence to train women and men who wish to take on an ambassadorial role in the environmental and social transformation of companies and organizations. New modules and certifications will accompany this new area of expertise to give students the keys to “managing diversity”. Increasing its footprint locally and internationally By 2025, MBS will continue to internationalise its programmes, research and recruitment, with a consolidated presence on three continents (Africa, Asia and America). At the same time, Montpellier Business School will also strengthen its links with regional companies to develop its support in terms of training and consulting. “The aim is to increase the local influence of the school, which will benefit from a new 20,000 m² eco-campus by 2023”, Bruno Ducasse adds. Measuring its impact to adopt a responsible and agile stance In order to remain concrete and adopt an agile stance, MBS will put in place instruments to measure the impact of its strategy on the lives of its students and the evolution of the society they live in. “The objective is to be able to measure the societal impact of higher education with the establishment of the first observatory of diversities”, reveals Bruno Ducasse. MBS will set up the RIX index (Responsibility Index) to support the local SMEs & ETIs in their social and environmental transformation.Foreign Language Centre recognises additional alternative certificates: Language Cert IESOL and Language Cert of English (LTE)
Do you want to study in English at Lazarski University? Instead of taking an exam, you can confirm your language competence by submitting a foreign language certificate. Foreign Language Centre recognises extra alternative certificates that candidates can submit: Language Cert IESOL (B2 level) Language Cert Test of English (LTE) Candidates for studies in English have to score the minimum of 60 points, which confirms the English language skills at the B2 level.Develop Your Business Idea at B-Space
Starting from 14 December, prospective entrepreneurs can apply to INK, the R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) Business Incubator B-Space incubation programme. Teams with a business idea in which at least one member is an RSU student, employee or graduate can apply. Experienced mentors will help the teams to develop their ideas over the course of four months. On 10 December, B-Space held an online meeting on with M?ris Gr?vis, who founded RB Café (the only café in the Baltic States run by a team of people with physical or mental disabilities), Antibrux, the team that won the Health Tech Hackathon, and J?nis Zalt?ns, a Business Developer at Unifiedpost. B-Space launched this autumn and around 30 participants in the pre-incubation programme (PINK) attend a weekly online course. The INK programme is available both to PINK alumni and other interested parties. ‘After having created a business idea, which is the main focus of the PINK programme, the next step is to test, develop and realise that idea. Interdisciplinary teams have unique strengths and talents, and each team member is an important resource to realise these ideas. The INK programme focuses on helping teams research their market, create a prototype of their product or service and test it on the end user. This helps participants prepare for Demo Day, which is scheduled to take place the end of the programme, and start their business successfully,’ says Kristaps Za?ais, B-Space Manager. INK will take place in three stages: first teams will define a business idea and possible business model and build their team, then they will conduct market analysis and create a project or service sketches with the help of a mentor, and finally teams will create the financial and legal structure of a company and develop their pitching skills in preparation for Demo Day. Teams will have access to all B-Space resources including the common rooms at 12 V?lipa iela in P?rdaugava, MakerSpace equipment for creating product prototypes as well as the support of mentors. Applications for the INK incubation programme are open until 12 January and the programme is scheduled to begin in February.UP digitally interlinks health scientists with companies across Europe
Easier access to information and faster implementation of medical knowledge in practice – this is the goal of the Digital Innovation Hub DIGI2Health. Within its framework, data from scientific institutions, medical facilities, and commercial entities from all over Europe will be mutually accessible. The project of Palacký University Olomouc and its partners makes the Olomouc region a Central European leader in the use of IT technologies in medicine. According to the founders of the hub, there is great potential for the development of business activities as well as for the future of patient care in the digitisation and sharing of knowledge and experience. “We have formed this consortium and initiated the creation of the Digital Innovation Hub DIGI2Health to make the results of medical science research available, by means of digital technology, to all who need it – be it in molecular and translational medicine, spiritual health, the health of athletes at Palacký University, or in telemedicine at University Hospital Olomouc,” said Roman Jure?ka, Director of the UP Science and Technology Park, which serves to connect the academic environment with the application and commercial spheres. The results of their work, experience, and knowledge will be shared within the Digital Innovation Hub of UP workplaces, such as the Department of Geoinformatics which focusses on collecting, managing, analysing, and visualising spatial information in various areas of society, or the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine (IMTM) whose team, among other things, developed the CovIT software solution enabling the computerisation of processes associated with high-capacity blanket testing of COVID-19. The newly created Digital Innovation Hub DIGI2Health is part of an emerging network of centres enabling the digitisation of small and medium-sized enterprises and public administration with the use of knowledge and research findings of universities, large companies, and other entities across science disciplines. This network based on mutual cooperation is the result of the European Union’s Digital Europe programme which aims to support the digital transformation of European society and economy.A unique education introduces new profession in Sweden
Pedorthist is a brand new vocational education starting this spring at Jönköping University. The education is conducted as a distance programme and introduces Pedorthist as a professional role in Sweden. A Pedorthist is a professional working in a diabetic team which handles all foot-related issues and aspects. In many ways the profession is similar to a certified prosthetics and orthotist, but with a specialization in only foot-related issues – meaning they become experts in the foot and shoe-area with patient/customer responsibilities. All theoretical education will be conducted via a distance learning platform. The practical part of the education will be done through internship-placements at orthopedic departments, with support from the school in the form of instructions, seminars, and individual supervision. Hopefully, this will be a good arrangement for the departments, as the students can be a resource both during the educational period and then, after two years, as a fully trained new member of staff. This form of education also means that a student can remain in their hometown during the entire educational period, as long as an internship can be offered there. The student can thereby be a resource already used to working within the team during their education and when they have graduated, they would have a natural place to work in their home region.Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki ranked 52nd in THE ranking
Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki are ranked 52nd in the Times Higher Education by Subject comparison 2020. Improvement was eight positions from last year. Johanna Mäkelä, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, is delighted of the Education subject results. “We are ranked almost among the top 50 worldwide. The results show that the hard and purposeful work of the faculty members is paying off. I am very proud of the achievements of our staff. I'm hopeful that we continue to improve our result which on their behalf show how competent our researchers and teachers are.”UP holds its positions in THE World University Rankings, improving in research
Palacký University Olomouc is ranked 601st–800th in the prestigious international ranking of universities THE World University Rankings 2021. UP has thus confirmed its position from previous years. In the domestic comparison, UP shares second place with Masaryk University in Brno; domestic leader Charles University in Prague occupies the 401st–500th positions once again. In five monitored areas, UP performed best in the International Outlook category, where it finished in 432nd place. The oldest Moravian university is making its sixth appearance in the evaluation. In this year’s edition, along with Charles University and Masaryk University, it has maintained its positions in global and domestic comparison. Czech higher education is represented by 18 universities in the THE rankings; the University of South Bohemia in ?eské Bud?jovice has also managed to be included among the one thousand best universities in the world. The indicators monitored by THE World University Rankings are divided into five areas: International Outlook, Citations, Teaching, Research, and Industry Income. UP has improved its position in the Research category compared to the previous year, as it leaped from 681st to 572nd position, and defended the third position in the Czech Republic after Charles University and Masaryk University. Traditionally, UP has high standings in Citations, with a score of 49.5 points compared to 46.9 last year. Among Czech universities, only Charles University had a better result (56.3 pts). For example, the University of South Bohemia scored 40.4 points and Masaryk University 33.9 points. The rest of domestic universities did not even reach 30 points. The rankings, which are one of the three most recognized global rankings of universities and higher education institutions, have been published by the British newspaper Times Higher Education since 2010. The THE rankings are dominated by the University of Oxford, followed by Stanford University and Harvard University. For example, neighbouring Poland is represented by nineteen universities, Slovakia by six, Hungary by nine, and Germany by 48. More detailed information is available here.Another success of VSB-TUO in the world of medicine
The team led by doc. Radek Martinek from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at VSB-TUO has developed the Foetal Electrodiagram Phantom technology, which is used to model the activity of the foetus’s and mother’s heart. It is based on devices used in clinical practice. The team is already working with a private investor to use the technology in practice. The Foetal Electrodiagram Phantom technology evaluates the foetal response. “By measuring the foetal pulse, many emerging diseases can be prevented. Thus, mothers can make sure their baby is all right,” explain the scientists. The technology enables accurate modelling of the electrical activity of the foetus’s and mother's heart within the 3D model of the pregnant woman’s body. The researchers model different foetal positions, gestational age, or physiological or pathological course. The key feature of this technology is the possibility of simulating pathological conditions that cannot be obtained by measurement in clinical practice, since these conditions are the basis for surgical abortion. “Heart rate is an essential indicator that the foetal condition is good. During the delivery, it is the basic diagnostic tool for the determination of hypoxia (oxygen deficiency) of the foetus. Natural birth can then turn into Caesarean section,” the scientists add. The equipment of the scientists at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science is also innovative in that the expectant mother will be able to take the device home, and the measurements will be easy for her. “We do not plan to send data to the hospital yet, but the mother will be able to view and monitor the foetus’s condition on a mobile device. She will know that her baby is all right. In case of any anomaly, she will go to the doctor immediately – thanks to the device, we will avoid many possible problems.”HAMK partnering with European vocational education institutes to develop marketing education in Europe.
HAMK is acting as a partner in Marketing through Europe (MaTe) project, which aims to develop and pilot a flexible training scheme/curriculum for business, administration, commerce and management field of upper secondary VET based on investigative research. The project group also includes vocational institutions from four European countries and is funded by Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic partnerships running for 24 months; 1.10.2020–30.9.2022. According to research the employers seem to integrate internationalization competences with such features as empathy, resilience, capability to solve problems, self-esteem, assertiveness and trustworthiness. The indirect objective of the project is to respond to the above-mentioned problem by training competent workforce to the needs of small and medium sized businesses on the edge of internationalization. Internationalization competences are not seen only as language skills, cultural understanding or mobility. According to studies team learning as a pedagogical solution enhances the skills and qualities needed in the future of work: communication skills, seeing tasks as projects, project management skills, flexibility and ability to cope with change. The pedagogical context of the training blueprint is team learning, project learning and teacher teams. The objective of the project is to develop a flexible training scheme / curriculum for business, administration, commerce and management field of upper secondary VET. In the training scheme learning at work, project learning (in cooperation with SMEs and other organisations), studying abroad, digital learning and team learning are combined. By developing this flexible training scheme the project enables business, administration, commerce students to acquire competences needed when operating in international operational environments and to advance the development of their soft skills.The new Doctoral School has started at NEOMA
The 14 students of the new cohort of the Doctoral School began their academic year in mid-October. They join the PhD in Management, with aim of accessing posts as professors and researchers or joining the research centres of large companies. The new NEOMA PhD students will work on their research project over a period of three years. This experience aims to prepare them to identify, analyse and resolve major managerial matters within organisations. They will be supported throughout their course by several experienced professors with high-level research profiles. In the first year, the students take several intensive courses in English covering fundamental theories and research methods. Research professors are in charge of their training as well as the supervision of the research projects they will work on over the three years of the programme. The start of the year is an opportunity to meet and discuss face-to-face. By virtue of its international aspect, NEOMA attracts large numbers of international students to its PhD programme. This training, so popular throughout the world and especially in America, is one of the highest qualifications offered by the Grandes Ecoles. This year there are 14 students with a variety of profiles and from different countries, and this is the largest cohort since the programme began in 2016, despite the world health crisis. In 2018, NEOMA signed a partnership agreement with URCA with the aim of bringing together the skills and expertise of both institutions, which was particularly useful in allowing the doctoral students of NEOMA Business School to gain European recognition. They can now join the programme of the doctoral School in Human and Social Sciences (SHS) at URCA, and are then awarded a double degree: the PhD in Management from NEOMA and the State Doctorate from URCA.The University of Ostrava Will Open a New Research Centre for SMART Technologies.
The University of Ostrava wants to focus more on the future of SMART technologies. In cooperation with research and non-profit organizations, businesses and public administrations, the University will explore their use in cities and municipalities on a more massive scale. The whole research, sponsored by the Faculty of Science of the University of Ostrava, is a response to the development of innovative technologies and the increasing requirements for their application. The University of Ostrava and its partners received a subsidy from the Operational Programme of Research, Development and Education for the project of long-term inter-branch cooperation entitled “SMART Technologies for Improving Life in Cities and Regions”. The Ministry of education will allocate about 87 million Czech crowns among the involved subjects. Moreover, the project has also received a subsidy from the ITI Programme (Integrated Territorial Investments) of the Moravian-Silesian Region. A science and research centre for the area of SMART technologies will be set up in the region. It will have two parts – one at the University of Ostrava and one at the Silesian University in Opava. These two centres will provide proposals for methods and procedures for the creation and implementation of social-technical innovations on the basis of SMART technologies that will improve the life in cities and municipalities of the Moravian-Silesian Region. They will deal with experimental use of modern technologies in telemedicine, within digital inclusion of seniors and disadvantaged social groups, for determining the needs of citizens and for communication of citizens with public administration authorities. In addition, both centres will also explore the application of such technologies in air quality and traffic monitoring, intelligent building or urban district management, electromobility and mobility. However, there might be many more areas of application in relation to the fast development of technologies. Besides solving the aforementioned tasks, the members of the individual research groups will also participate in SMART conferences in the Czech Republic and abroad in relation to the expansion of competences. Naturally, cooperation with selected partners in the form of businesses, cities and municipalities will be established.BANGOR UNIVERSITY TO BECOME A WORLD LEADER IN A NUCLEAR-POWERED FUTURE
Bangor University is to become a world-leading nuclear research site after a £3 million Welsh Government investment in 15 new science posts. The highly qualified jobs will be at the university’s Nuclear Futures Institute and have recharged the region’s nuclear ambitions after the disappointment of Hitachi’s pull-out from the Wylfa Two project. The cash injection has been welcomed by NFI Director Professor Bill Lee, one of the UK’s leading nuclear scientists, who says it will enable the university to expand its work in the nuclear field into medicine, control and instrumentation, structural materials and fusion energy. He said that it could open the doors to further investment of hundreds of millions of pounds across North Wales as the region becomes one of the UK’s carbon-free energy hubs. “If we are going to convert the whole country to electricity for transport and home heating by 2050 then we are going to have to double or even treble current capacity so we will need wind, solar, hydro and nuclear and we have them all here in North Wales – then you can wind down coal, gas and oil,” he said. The money for the new positions comes from the Welsh Government’s Sêr Cymru programme and the European Regional Development Fund and the University is also funding one additional post at the Institute. Professor Lee, formerly at Imperial College London and one of the world's top material scientists, added: "This support from the Welsh Government and Europe gives us a real opportunity to put Bangor University at the heart of developments in low carbon energy. “This is a great opportunity for North Wales, providing excellent research and training infrastructure along with a much more significant nuclear programme. “It’s a key benefit for North Wales that we have two licensed nuclear sites at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd and although Hitachi-GE pulled out of the Wylfa Newydd project there are ongoing conversations with other companies – that site will be used by someone.” The NFI was set up in 2017 to focus on research into nuclear technologies in North Wales where nuclear energy has played a key role at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd and where the University and the M-SParc science park provide academic and industrial support. The new investment will help NFI expand into the fields of nuclear medicine, using radioactive chemicals to diagnose and treat heart disease and many cancers, structural materials, to prevent radioactive leaks from nuclear reactors, and nuclear fusion. Professor Lee said: “The new appointments will become part of a world-leading team supporting large regional projects funded through the North Wales Growth Deal such as the Low Carbon Energy Centre of Excellence at M-SParc on Anglesey. “There are also significant projects such as the National Thermal Hydraulics Facility slated for North Wales in the Nuclear Sector Deal. “There are a number of elements you need to worry about when developing the sort of capability we need here, including money and facilities but the most important is people and this investment in people gives Bangor a head start.” He has been backed by Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams who said: “I’m pleased our Sêr Cymru scheme can support this programme at Bangor University, creating several high-quality jobs and strengthening the University’s research base even further.”Private Renting: Guidance for Students
Many students live away from home when they go to university, so if you are living in privately rented accommodation or university halls it is important to know what your rights and responsibilities are. Luckily UUSU are here to help and have collaborated with Housing Rights NI to develop an in-depth overview of how to rent safely. UUSU and Housing Rights have experienced an increase in renting issues during the pandemic and this resource is designed to help those who are or may experience issues. Unfortunately, the pandemic has not advanced renters’ rights much and your tenancy agreement remains a legally binding document-so please read it with care before signing.Ulster University launches Northern Ireland’s first BSc Paramedic Science degree
With funding support from the Department of Health, the new three year, BSc Hons Paramedic Science course will be based within Ulster University’s multi award winning School of Nursing on the Magee campus. Educating the next generation of paramedics, this course will help meet the growing workforce demands for more paramedics in Northern Ireland. These future Paramedics will be required in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and will also have a wider role to play in the transformation of the provision of health and social care within primary and secondary care in Northern Ireland as outlined in the Bengoa Report. The BSc Hons Paramedic Science degree will provide students with the knowledge, critical understanding, skills, values and resilience to apply to enter the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register as a qualified Paramedic. Students will develop confident clinical decision-making skills and leadership attributes that will empower them to provide safe and effective patient care as a Paramedic across a range of settings. Ulster University has been working in partnership with the NI Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust (NIAS HSCT) since 2018 and other care providers, delivering a Foundation degree in Paramedic Practice. A change in HCPC Standards of Education and Training requires that from September 2021, people seeking entry to the HCPC register as a paramedic must have completed a HCPC approved course at the level of Bachelor degree with honours. Ulster’s BSc Hons Paramedic Science course has been recommended for HCPC approval, intaking the first cohort of 40 students in September 2021.Studying and wellbeing: Students of the University of Helsinki offered ways to develop their stress management skills
A course developed by Henna Asikainen and Nina Katajavuori, senior lecturers in university pedagogy working on Viikki Campus, University of Helsinki, helps students practise the promotion of their wellbeing, stress management and study skills. The aim is to make the course available to all University of Helsinki students, and to doctoral students and staff later on. Research has shown that as many as half of higher education students have experienced exhaustion, inadequacy and cynisism in their studies. New students struggle with the changes brought about by beginning their studies and the heavy demands of studying at university. As an initial reaction, they may avoid situations that cause anxiety or procrastinate. However, distressing situations occur all the time, and studies do not progress if you are unable to get things done. Henna Asikainen and Nina Katajavuori, senior lecturers in university pedagogy on Viikki Campus of University of Helsinki, have already been offering an online course for a couple of years in which students can, through various exercises, identify things that are important to them, learn to work in spite of stressful thoughts and, in this way, increase their wellbeing. The course is based on the development of psychological flexibility. “Studies have demonstrated that psychological flexibility has a strong connection with wellbeing. In our research, we have also identified a strong link with the progress of studies, which is why we came to the conclusion that this must be promoted in one way or another,” says Henna Asikainen. Psychological flexibility means that people are able to differentiate between their negative thoughts and their self. They are able to base their actions on their personal values and goals in spite of being anxious and stressed in certain situations. With the help of the digital leap in education funding granted to the project, Henna Asikainen and Nina Katajavuori aim to establish the course as an online offering available to all students of the University of Helsinki. Another goal is to add new material in order to provide a more comprehensive perspective on wellbeing. “We already have notable professors of education involved, such as Minna Huotilainen, Katariina Salmela-Aro and Mari Tervaniemi. We could also add to the course information on the significance of sleep, exercise and nutrition for wellbeing, among other things. Still, the course focuses on psychological flexibility and related support,” Katajavuori outlines. The development of the course is associated with WELLS, a more extensive research project. Last autumn, a case-control design was utilised in the organisation of the course, and research activities have also been carried out with the help of technical solutions.SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING AWARDED ATHENA SWAN BRONZE AWARD
Bangor University is delighted to announce that a recent Athena SWAN application for a Bronze award from the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering has been successful. These awards recognise the Schools’ and University’s ongoing commitment to gender equality for staff and students. Dr Iestyn Pierce, Head of School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded Athena SWAN Bronze in recognition of our commitment to gender equality. The School has outreach activities at its core, with Technocamps Bangor an integral part of the School. We have been working hard for many years to attract more girls and women to our subject areas and are delighted that our hard work has been recognized. The School will continue to place equality at the forefront of its activities to broaden opportunities and contribute towards increasing diversity amongst staff and students”. Professor Iwan Davies, Vice-Chancellor, said "I would like to congratulate the School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering on their successful application. I am delighted that another School has been awarded an Athena SWAN awards in recognition of our work towards gender equality at Bangor. We are fully committed to continuing our work in this area and to embedding equality into everything we do.” The Athena SWAN charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in higher education. The charter was expanded in 2015 to include all academic departments and professional services staff. Athena SWAN now recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly and the awards recognise commitment to gender equality and diversity, excellent working practices, and the inclusive culture we promote for staff and students at all levels.Ulster University partners with the Antonio Carluccio Foundation to promote access to higher education
Ulster University has entered a partnership with the Antonio Carluccio Foundation to encourage young people in Northern Ireland to consider studying in the fields of Hospitality and Culinary Arts Management. The outreach programme, officially launched on 30 September 2020, is specifically aimed at those who may not be considering university as an option. Antonio Carluccio, the chef and restaurateur considered by many to be the godfather of Italian gastronomy in the UK, established the Foundation in his name to provide resources and development opportunities to aspiring chefs and hospitality professionals. Forming part of the university’s ambitious widening access and participation agenda, the Antonio Carluccio Outreach Programme will involve university lecturers, students and representatives of the local hospitality industry engaging with school leavers through a series of workshops and field-trips that highlight the many exciting career opportunities available in this sector. The launch of the Antonio Carluccio Outreach programme comes as Ulster University has been ranked first in the UK for Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism (Complete University Guide 2021).Finland continues its quest to teach 1 % of the world the basics of AI – Open online course Building AI published
A new open online course by the University of Helsinki and technology company Reaktor explains the algorithms behind AI. Building AI is a sequel to Elements of AI, the international phenomenon that has been voted the world’s best computer science course. As Artificial Intelligence impacts all industries and individuals, everyone should have an opportunity to understand what it is and how to use it. To democratize information and empower people to shape the future, the University of Helsinki and Reaktor now continue their quest to teach 1 % of the world the basics of AI. The new massive open online course Building AI looks into the actual algorithms behind AI. Some basic Python programming skills are recommended to get the most out of the course, but it also offers exercises with no programming needed. The level of assignments can be changed over the duration of the course, which encourages students to pick the more challenging ones. Building AI is a continuation of Elements of AI, the world’s first online course published in all official EU languages. With over half a million participants, Elements of AI has been voted the best AI course on Class Central and Forbes. “Artificial intelligence appears in our lives, for example, as the recommendation algorithms of streaming services and facial recognition techniques. We wish to familiarize people with the tools used to create AI-based systems, engaging them in this societal transformation instead of people just adapting to the doings of a technological elite,” said Professor of Computer Science Teemu Roos from the University of Helsinki, Lead Instructor for Building AI. “Europe is only at the beginning of realizing how much is possible with AI. You can’t recognize the potential functions of Artificial Intelligence without getting to know the technology and context. That’s why we want to provide people with concrete tools to recognize these possibilities,” said Hanna Hagström, Business Director of AI at Reaktor. The courses focus on people who are most often left out of technology discussions has paid off: Nearly 40% of participants in Elements of AI are women, and 25% are over the age of 45. Elements of AI also won the grand prize in MIT’s Inclusive Innovation Challenge in 2019. From Building AI, students can earn a maximum of two ECTS credits by completing the course, depending on the level of difficulty of the assignments. Students have the opportunity to purchase an official certificate of course completion for €50. The certificate is not a requirement, as the entire course can still be completed and the credits earned completely free of charge.New master's degree in computer science at JU
Jönköping University is increasing its educational offering and will start a new master's degree programme in computer science at the School of Engineering next autumn, 2021. “There are many companies in the region, and also nationally, that need to employ qualified students who have deeper technical knowledge in IT. That is why we are starting a five-year master's degree programme in computer science. The new programme is developed in collaboration, based on the companies’ needs, and is linked to JU’s research in artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science,” says Patrik Cannmo, Associate Dean of Education at the School of Engineering. The Master’s degree programme in Computer Science and Engineering is in Swedish only. The two final years of the education will be in English as it is a complete joint reading with the international master's program AI Engineering. The two final years of the education will consist of the master’s program in AI Engineering. The School of Engineering has greatly expanded its research in recent years and the number of registered students in the study programmes has increased significantly. The Master of Science in Computer Science is the second master's degree in engineering that starts after industrial product development. The School of Engineering already provides Bachelor of Science in Engineering (högskoleingenjör), as well as bachelor’s and master’s programmes. The master's degree programme in computer science will start in August 2021, but already in January the basic science year begins, which is linked to the new master's degree programme. This is for students who need to improve their qualifications in mathematics, physics and chemistry before the programme starts.ULa in 3rd place in the Ranking of Law Departments of “Rzeczpospolita”
The editors of Rzeczpospolita for the ninth time awarded universities best educating young lawyers. Lazarski University took the 3rd place among private universities. "The position in the ranking was decided by, among others application reliance and scientific potential - that is, staff who transfer knowledge to students. " - Rzeczpospolita wrote in the justification for the classification. "In 2019, graduates of 51 universities took part in exams: 19 public, 25 non-public and seven foreign. The average pass rate of exams of law graduates at private universities was 34.8%, and at state universities 58.9%. 2862 graduates of the 2019 year group from 39 Polish universities took the entrance exams in 2019. 1844 of them obtained a positive result; the average pass rate was 64.4 percent. As can be seen from the ranking data, the quality of education translates into the success of graduates taking application exams. The data on the incidence of applications also shows that the higher the grade obtained in the diploma, the greater the likelihood of getting to the dream legal application. "- the newspaper says.The FM UPJS took and examined samples for COVID-19 from foreign students free of charge
The Faculty of Medicine, UPJŠ takes a responsible approach to the risk of spreading the new coronavirus and provided free of charge testing for its foreign students by the highly sensitive RT PCR method. The Faculty ordered testing for each of its international students prior to a teaching period, involving approximately 1,300 students. The nine samplings were carried out and a total of 1271 students were tested from September 3, 2020 to September 30, 2020. We captured eighteen SARS-CoV-2 positive students and about half of them were from so-called safe countries. measuThe samplings were carried out by the students of our Faculty at the mobile sampling site of the L. Pasteur University Hospital in Košice under the supervision of a doctor from the Department of Infectology and Travel Medicine under strict hygienic measures. The samples were examined by the staff of the Department of Epidemiology and the Department of Medical and Clinical Biochemistry of the Faculty of Medicine, in a joint laboratory established for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is accredited by the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.The largest in the Baltics career fair KTU WANTed Career Days will take place online
The largest in the Baltics career fair, WANTed Career Days 2020 organised by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) will take place online this year. On Wednesday, October 14 the visitors will be invited to a six-hour-long direct broadcast of the Career Days, where the representatives of major companies, influencers and society figures will share their knowledge and expertise with the public. The global pandemic made many event organisers revise their plans and look for new solutions. The team behind the WANTed Career Days 2020 is convinced – this experiment will stimulate both job seekers and potential employers to step out of their comfort zone and to and discover new ways of communication and career research. “All the activities of the virtual event are organised in such a way that they would respond to the tendencies of the job market when both an employer and the employee have the same rights in the negotiation process. Both companies and the students will have the opportunity to introduce themselves and to get to know each other”, says Viktorija Radžien?, Head of the KTU Career and Development Centre. Rimant? Sedziniauskien?, the project expert for cooperation with business at KTU is convinced that despite the complications of the current situation, the main challenge among the employers remains the same – the attraction of talents and the competition among the most talented candidates. According to her, the image and the reputation of the employer is the most important criteria when choosing a potential job place, especially among younger candidates. “That’s why in this year’s event we are providing the opportunity for the companies to introduce their company’s culture, mission and activities to the potential employees in the direct broadcast”, says Sedziniauskien?. During their presentation, the companies will invite the visitors of the event to virtually visit their potential job place. They will be able to share the most important aspects of their activities, to introduce their work culture and interesting facts. After the presentations, the students will be able to interact and to personally contact the representatives. Rimant? Sedziniauskien? thinks that this opportunity is one of the main advantages of the new format, as the companies can present themselves in a personal way – this saves time for both potential employees and employers, who, in normal circumstances only after passing long selection process and several interviews discover that there is a clash between theirs and the company’s values. Among the 13 companies, which will use the opportunity to virtually introduce themselves, are well-known names from Lithuania and global finance, banking, IT and other industries. KTU Wanted Career Days 2020 will feature the leaders of the job market: Rocket Software and TransUnion as the major partners, SEB Support Services Centre, Mars Lithuania, Lithuanian Electricity Transmission System Operator LITGRID, Centric IT Solutions Lithuania, Western Union, Hella Lithuania, Ignitis, Lithuanian Railways, Philip Morris Baltic, Pienas LT. Aiming to provide the students with more opportunities to apply for a job or for an internship KTU opened up the specialised platform, where the students have the possibility to check for the vacancies available. The organisers of the KTU WANTed Career Days are encouraging the students to actively use the platform during the event. As in every year, KTU WANTed Career Days will host two events where the topics related to career will be explored by using the expertise of the industry and business figures. “In this year’s Small Talks conference we will invite to bust the popular myths about establishing a business or choosing a career path. It’s hard for a woman to make a career, if you change jobs too often it will affect your career negatively, your colleagues are always ready to eat you alive – these and other myths are circling in our society. During the event, the representatives of well-known companies will attempt to bust, or, on the contrary, to confirm these myths”, says Sedziniauskien?. Small Talks will be moderated by a famous TV personality, influencer Dovil? Filmanavi?i?t?. The highlight of the Career Days will be WANTed Talks forum featuring famous presenters, interesting and useful topics and discussions, relevant for the job seekers and the companies alike. The topic of this year’s conference is living in a new reality. The keynote speaker is Andrius Tapinas, a famous journalist, broadcaster, initiator of many spontaneous massive happenings. According to the organisers, although this year’s Career Days virtual format is a response to the reality altered by pandemics, some of the solutions may remain for future events. The largest in the Baltics career contact fair KTU WANTed Career Days 2020 will take place online on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.SKEMA and Nanjing Audit University hold project management summer school
From 3 to 13 August, 32 finance and audit students from China took part in the very first project management programme offered online by SKEMA and its partner Nanjing Audit University (NAU). For eight days, the students attended 20 hours of classes taught in English on Teams. The seminar was led by professor Yves Alliot. A leading specialist in project management within the Airbus group, Yves Alliot furthers the development of new markets and key international projects. He adapted his course to the students' backgrounds and requirements, alternating between teaching basic knowledge of project management and sharing his invaluable experience, with numerous illustrations from real life. Project-based learning enabled students to acquire essential knowledge and to grasp and implement project management tools and techniques. Through these combined efforts, all of them successfully completed the programme and are now ready to take part in international projects.Direct application to Bachelor’s degree studies starts on 1 October
HAMK organizes a direct application to full-time Bachelor’s degree studies conducted in English from 1 October to 15 November 2020. This application is targeted for applicants living outside of Finland. Applicants living in Finland can apply in the national joint application to higher education on 7-20 January 2021. The degree programmes on offer are Computer Applications, Construction Engineering and Smart and Sustainable Design in Hämeenlinna, Electrical and Automation Engineering and International Business (full-time studies) in Valkeakoski, Information and Communication Technology, Bioconomy in Forssa and Mechanical Engineering and Production Technology in Riihimäki. There is also a new degree programme Smart Organic Farming in Mustiala.University of Helsinki has decided on the criteria for certificate - based admission in 2023–2024
The University of Helsinki has made a decision on the criteria for certificate-based admission to the bachelor’s programmes included in the joint application procedure in 2023–2024. The release of the criteria will help future upper secondary school students choose their subjects. In 2021 the programmes will revert to the original criteria for certificate-based admission, published on the Studyinfo website (in Finnish only). The criteria includes the scoring tables and the threshold criteria. Due to the exceptional circumstances brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the criteria used in the second joint application procedure in spring 2020 only applied to this year's application round. As a rule, the degree programmes offering the certificate-based admission route have decided to adhere to the scoring tables published on the Studyinfo website and threshold criteria, or subject-specific minimum points, until 2024. Exceptions to the scoring tables for 2023–2024 are described in more detail below. Publishing the criteria for certificate-based admission will help upper secondary school students embarking on their studies in autumn 2020 to choose their general upper secondary school subjects. Exceptions to scoring tables for 2023–2024: Bachelor’s Programme in Languages: Russian as a Foreign Language Only Finnish, Swedish or Sámi as a native language will be considered in scoring applicants’ native language. Bachelor’s Programme in Food Sciences If the first weighted subject is chemistry, the second weighted subject can also be physics instead of biologySTUDIES IN THE AUTUMN SEMESTER WILL TAKE PLACE ON-SITE AND ONLINE
In the autumn semester of the new academic year, lectures at Riga Technical University (RTU) will be organized in a mixed mode, both on-site and online. Special attention will be paid to observing epidemiological safety measures when organising on-site studies. Lectures in the autumn semester will be organized in a mixed mode, both on-site and online, giving preference to on-site classes as far as possible. However, lectures in which the estimated number of students exceeds 100 will be organized online. Such organization of lectures will minimize crowding in study rooms and hallways as much as possible. First-year bachelor students are given priority in planning the lectures, they should be provided with on-site lectures as much as possible. In on-site lectures, academic staff members will register students in the attendance sheet, recording students’ name and surname, the place and time of the lecture. By the beginning of the studies, academic staff members should prepare and insert a detailed plan for the implementation of the study course into ORTUS e-study course, indicating the way in which each lecture will be carried out, whether on-site or online, specifying whether the lecture will take place online, what platform will be used, etc. Each faculty and regional study centre shall appoint the responsible person for Covid-19 issues who shall collect information on the identified or suspected cases, as well as coordinate and manage protective and informative activities. If a student or employee is infected with Covid-19, has been in close contact with someone infected, or has returned from abroad and has to observe self-isolation, the responsible person at the faculty should be informed. In cases where students or employees experience acute respiratory infection symptoms during the on-site study process, they must go home immediately, contact the family doctor, and inform the responsible persons at RTU. In study rooms where lectures are held, surface disinfection is carried out once a day. Disinfectants for individual use are available in the study rooms and hallways. Where possible, two metres distance should be observed and crowding should be avoided, as well as other precautions should be taken.MCAST collaborates with European partners on vocational training and water-related education
In many countries, especially in Europe, we take our clean drinking water for granted. The process of water production is a complex one which requires a skilled workforce to operate. Several European countries are struggling with a shortage of young people interested in water-related education. This is the main reason why European colleges and professionals from the water industry have joined forces to train water professionals at Vocational Training and Education (VET) level. The webinar of the European Platform of Vocational Excellence Water was held online in May. In this meeting, five European regions, including Malta, discussed the future skilled vocational practitioner in the field of water technology. Dutch partners, Learning Hub Friesland, Vitens, Katapult and CIV Water, shared their knowledge and experience on how to achieve good cooperation between VET education and the water industry. During the online meeting knowledge and insights were shared about how to stimulate collaboration and how to strengthen regional networks. The outcomes of the webinar showed that there are still significant differences between the various European regions. Nicola Murray from Glasgow College, Scotland confirmed: “It was surprising to see that we all have a different starting point”. All project partners operate within a particular context with different challenges and opportunities. Speaking about the Maltese context, Edwin Zammit Deputy Director for Innovation at MCAST, said, “One of our biggest challenges and common factor that unites us in Malta is the high freshwater scarcity on the island. It is vital to invest in the right talent and education to provide good and safe water for all.” PoVE Water PoVE Water is a transnational project that draws on existing and emerging vocational competences and skills needs in the water sector, translating them into an approach of vocational excellence. The project kicked off in January 2020 in Brussels. The project brings together VET institutions, the water industry, research centres, H.E., governmental institutions and water sector representatives from the Netherlands, Scotland, Latvia, Malta and the Czech Republic. These partners share a common interest in developing the full potential of VET institutions to play a proactive role in support of growth, competitiveness and innovation of the water sector. MCAST – Water Research and Training Centre Malta has the lowest water resources index and highest water competition index in the whole of the Mediterranean basin. Challenges are placed for the nation to be at the forefront of both water technology and in the skilling of water operations and management while operating within challenging socio-economic conditions. It is within this setting that the MCAST Water Research and Training Centre holds strong potential. The Centre focuses on water enterprise, as it aims to embody the application of creative ideas and innovations to practical situations in the water field, as well as solving the challenges that are encountered locally. Three main themes characterise the Centre, these being, Water Quality, Water Systems Control and Water efficiency and innovation.Erasmus+ Call 2020: projects for international mobility and the new “European Joint Masters in Management and Engineering of Environment and Energy” (ME3+) have been funded
The projects submitted by the University of Trento within the Erasmus+ Call 2020 for the implementation of student, academic and administrative staff mobility in Europe and the rest of the world have been selected for funding. This confirms UniTrento’s solid international orientation and the intention to offer the University community opportunities for enrichment through a period abroad and interaction with foreign colleagues. The resources of the European Commission have been constantly increasing over the past 5-year period and for the a.y. 2020/2021 amount to 1,535,000 euros to support mobility within European countries for the purpose of study and internship for students (both during and after their university career), or teaching and training in the case of academic and administrative staff. Additional funding of 835,000 euros has been awarded for exchanges to and from non-European countries over a period of 3 years, specifically with 19 UniTrento partner universities in 10 countries (Japan, Russia, India, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Tunisia, South Africa, Bangladesh and Vietnam). Thanks to this program, every year academic and administrative staff from all over the world populate the UniTrento campus and classrooms, thereby contributing to their internationalization. Furthermore, UniTrento professors can hold courses and seminars at partner institutions, which helps to strengthen collaboration and lay the foundations for further exchanges. The new “European Joint Masters in Management and Engineering of Environment and Energy” (ME3+) has been selected within the prestigious action Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees. ME3+ is a joint study programme of excellence of which UniTrento is a partner with its Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM) and this represents an opportunity for students interested in the Master in Energy Engineering to embark on an interdisciplinary and international path. In fact, the programme is based on the integration of management and engineering, in addition to the inter-linked fields of energy and the environment connected to international challenges. ME3+ provides mobility to at least two European partner institutions and a double degree is awarded upon completion of the programme. In particular, UniTrento is involved in the study track “Project Manager in Smart Cities and Industry 4.0” with the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary) and IMTA Institut Mines Telecom Atlatique (France – project coordinator). This track allows students to obtain the Italian Laurea Magistrale in Energy Engineering (LM-30) and the Master of Science in Project Management for Environmental and Energy Engineering (IMTA, France). In addition to the universities mentioned, the University of Borås (Sweden) is also a partner in the project. European funding for ME3+ is over 3 million euros, including 60 scholarships (€ 1,000/month for 2 years, as well as contributions for travel and participation costs) to be awarded to the best students from all over the world in 4 cohorts starting from the a.y. 2021/22. The call for applications will be published in the coming months.RSU Pre-courses In Demand Also Online
For the fourth year, the study year at RSU started not only with a first-year student seminar organised by the RSU Student Union and Orientation Week for international students, but also with various introductory courses for first-year students of the Medicine study programme. 65 students applied for the introductory courses including 31 international students from 12 countries ranging from closer neighbours like Germany, Finland, Sweden, as well as from countries further afield like Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and Nepal. The courses were held in English and Latvian and took place five days before the first study semester started. The purpose of the courses is not only to summarise the knowledge and skills students have from school, but also to highlight those subjects from chemistry, physics and biology that will be necessary starting the first semester in courses like Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Medical Physics. The students who attended the courses point out that they most appreciated how actively involved the lecturers were, the feedback they gave, and their attitude towards the course in general. Everything was explained thoroughly, students were motivated to think and look deeper and to analyse information from various angles. They conclude that the courses were well structured, that the classes were interesting and the atmosphere relaxed. Assoc. Prof. Rud?te Koka is one of the lecturers who says that the students who chose the biology course were highly motivated. ‘They asked questions, solved tasks, explained and substantiated their opinions. Students have different experience levels since several of them studied biology a long time ago, which is why courses like these are especially important. It was also a pleasure to work with young people remotely. I want to organise the work as precisely as possible in a short amount of time and highlight those parts of biology that cause the students difficulties,’ Koka says. The idea of remote courses has been around for several years, and this year was particularly suitable to realise it. Remote studies, especially in experimental sciences such as chemistry, physics and biology, are a major challenge for both lecturers and students. This required evaluating the results and goals that needed to be achieved during each lesson, carefully selecting teaching methods and forms of communication, testing and reflection. The lecturers’ experience during the previous semester and the information technology infrastructure at RSU (e.g. updating the e-learning environment, the widespread use of Zoom) played an important role. The introductory courses could also be called a training camp for students and lecturers, as it is not only students, but also lecturers who have to prepare for the upcoming year. Lecturers from the respective study courses are invited to conduct that year’s introductory courses. This year they were led by Agnese Dreimane, Coordinator of Education Programmes of the Continuing Education Centre, Assoc. Prof. Rud?te Koka, Assoc. Prof. Zanda Daneberga, lecturer Anita Pastare, lecturer Irina Kazuša, lecturer Ilm?rs Rikmanis, lecturer Mihails Ha?itovs, assistant J?nis Kungs, Assistant Professor Jevgenijs Proskurins and lecturer Ansis ?cis. The pre-courses date back to August 2017, when the first introductory courses in chemistry and biology in Latvian were held with the support of Professor Guntis Bahs. Since then, introductory courses have been developed in both English and Latvian and a number of subjects have been added over the years: physics was added in 2018, and Latvian and Latin in August 2020. This was the first year that the English-language courses were two weeks long for the first time, but it was also the first time courses were held remotely using specially designed teaching methods and course structure. RSU has an advanced e-studies and online learning environment that has allowed the university to ensure the continuity of the entire study process at all study levels in a modern way. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the RSU study process has not stopped: the previous year of studies was successfully concluded and the national degree examinations and final theses defences were organised online. RSU will start the new study year remotely, but introduce blended learning in October.A new blog designed to make management research useful and accessible!
This new media platform is designed to share the expertise of the NEOMA community members related to management, innovation, performance and entrepreneurship through the analysis of real issues and the formulation of practical recommendations from research articles in management science. A blog to answer current questions enlighted by academic research The blog features a wide range of current topics, covering the latest innovative ideas, in French and in English, and remains fully in line with the School's strategic direction and the expertise of its community. For example, maybe you are wondering how to identify and deal with toxic individuals in your professional environment, how to select the members of a board of directors effectively, or how to deal with difficult clients? If so, then this blog will provide you with the answers. In effect, the NEOMA blog seeks to provide companies with the insight to help them understand today's complex issues. It is a space for sharing information and exchange on subjects and lines of thought that resonate with the concerns of management professionals.Digital Badges: a credible tool to prove soft competencies
Technology is changing the world. Students today need not only hard skills but also so-called soft competencies: leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence. A study by LinkedIn found that 92 per cent of respondents think that soft skills are more important than technical capabilities, while 89 per cent claim that bad employees do not have soft skills. According to Marta Talandyt?, a graduate of European Studies at KTU Faculty of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (SHMMF), extra-curricular activities while studying is one of the ways that helps to form soft skills. To become competitive in today’s job market, one should invest in themselves. According to experts, extra-curricular activities at the university or college improve employability chances. They also help to develop soft skills, such as leadership, communication, teamwork, job interview skills, time management and flexibility. KTU offers a range of different extra-curricular activities available to everyone for free. As a chair of KTU SHMMF Students’ Union, I realised that it is important to remind people to get out of their comfort zone and try themselves in different areas”, says Talandyt?. She believes that extra-curricular activities develop both hard and soft skills that are essential today. They also allow getting involved in different projects, scholarship programmes and internships. Involvement with university’s organisations is not the only possibility to “earn” digital badges. KTU cooperates with business representatives that share their expertise with students. They lead various seminars, invite to different discussions or workshops. Usually, during these seminars, a student does not get any certificate, but digital badges remain as proof acquired via non-formal learning. Today many aspects of life are becoming digitalised, especially, in the job market. Digital badges are a way to receive a personal file of competencies together with a university diploma, both on paper and in digital format. An app on a smartphone or a computer provides access to all the achievements earned that can be shared on social media or professional networks. Digital badges are available in both Lithuanian and English languages, and many international companies recognise the value of it.NEOMA Business School placed 61st in the QS 2020 worldwide ranking of top Executive MBAs
QS (Quacquarelli Symonds), a British company specialising in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world, publishes its global ranking of the best Executive MBAs today. NEOMA is ranked 61st worldwide (+30 places) and 29th in Europe (+12 places) amongst the 141 institutions appearing in this year's ranking. NEOMA also moves up to 6th position among French Schools and the Executive MBA scores particularly well in the following categories: • Executive Profile (quality of graduates' professional experience) with a score of 99.5/100. This excellent score sees NEOMA take 2nd worldwide and 1st European place. • Career Outcomes (career progression within 12 months of graduation) with a score of 78.5/100. This prestigious ranking is one of the most comprehensive in its category. Assessment criteria mainly focuses on graduate employability and career progression, the diversity of student profiles, and, more generally, the programme's 'return on investment'.Tandem Language Learning - academic year 2020-2021 at University of Trento
The University of Trento proposes the Tandem Language Learning as an opportunity to improve oral competences in a foreign language in an informal and different setting which is not the usual classroom, but a more relaxed and casual environment. Usually the Tandem partners meet each other in person and freely decide where to meet. Responding with caution, accuracy and flexibility to the challenges raised by the Covid-19 pandemic, during the 1st semester of the a.y. 2020/2021 the Tandem activities are planned as online exchanges. Tandem Language Learning lasts one semester (20 conversation hours in total). Upon completion of the tandem participants will be awarded with an Open Digital Badge, which certifies the successful accomplishment of this learning activity. Furthermore, if you are a student of the Department of Humanities or an Erasmus student incoming of the Department of Humanities you can also get 1 CFU. To be admitted to the Tandem Language Learning, the university kindly asks you to submit your application from 24th August to 24th September 2020.Ulster’s School of Medicine now recruiting future doctors for September 2021
Ulster University’s new School of Medicine based on the Magee campus is now recruiting Northern Ireland’s future doctors following a successful progression through the next steps of the General Medical Council’s (GMC) rigorous quality assurance process for new medical schools. With support from the Executive, ring-fenced funding was announced last month, combined with the GMC’s recent review of the University's state of readiness, enables Ulster University to recruit staff and students for a September 2021 opening. Ulster University’s School of Medicine will select students who have already completed an undergraduate degree and provide them with four years of innovative, intensive, practical medical education. The School will offer a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) medical degree programme that is unique in Northern Ireland. In 2018, The Department of Health commissioned a Review of Medical School Places which recommended that Northern Ireland needs 100 more medical students a year to meet the increasing demand for doctors. Currently, approximately 40% of medical graduates in Northern Ireland tend to stay and live within 10 miles of Queen’s University Belfast after graduation, according to the GMC. The new School of Medicine at Magee will address departmental recommendations by providing access to medical education in the North West, positioning the Derry~Londonderry City region as an attractive place to study and work. It further builds on Ulster University’s capacity to deliver life-changing education and research, supporting the health and well-being agenda in Northern Ireland.Applicant Numbers Rise by 25% for Social Sciences Programmes at RSU
Each year, prospective students show great interest in the medicine and healthcare programmes that R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) offers. However, this year there is a significant increase in the number of applications for the social sciences programmes. Last year RSU received 2,532 applications, while this year it received 3,186 – a 25% increase. RSU has offered social sciences study programmes for 22 years. Applicant interest in these programmes keeps growing each year, even though there are currently no government-funded study places available for social sciences students. When interviewed, applicants explained that they were willing to pay for these internationally recognised study programmes because of their high quality. The knowledge and skills that can be gained at RSU makes getting a successful job easier. Among the most popular social sciences study programmes are Psychology, International Marketing and Advertising and Law. RSU is especially pleased about the newly established International Business and Start-Up Entrepreneurship bachelor’s programme that is taught in English. The first student group has already been established, with four newly admitted students coming from abroad. Studies in this programme will take place in an international environment with international students and academic staff, as well as study trips abroad. The summer admissions period for undergraduate programmes in social sciences, medicine and healthcare concluded on 3 August with 8,100 applications submitted by 2,636 people making RSU the second most popular university in Latvia. There is an increase of 9% in the number of students across all Latvian higher education institutions. The coronavirus pandemic made this year special for higher education. The growing number of applications shows that alongside the difficulties, universities also benefited from this emergency – transitioning to electronic application systems facilitated document management processes. Besides, global uncertainty has urged students to explore study opportunities in Latvia rather than abroad.Covid-19: the causes of the poor prognosis in patients with diabetes have been identified
Patients with diabetes are particularly at risk in the case of infection with Covid-19, especially as this syndrome is often accompanied by other pathologies such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease and obesity. This is what emerges from a study carried out by 4th year residents from the Scuola di specializzazione in Endocrinologia e Malattie del metabolismo at the University of Pisa and published in Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The article contains a systematic assessment of the reasons why Covid-19 implicates a worse prognosis and higher death rate, often 2 or 3 times higher, in patients with diabetes mellitus than in non-diabetic patients. The study was carried out by Dr. Matteo Apicella, Dr. Maria Cristina Campopiano, Dr. Michele Mantuano and Dr. Laura Mazoni, coordinated by Dr. Alberto Coppelli (Section of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases of the AOUP) and by Professor Stefano Del Prato (photo on the right), professor of Endocrinology and Chief of the Section. From the outset of the pandemic, scientific studies on the risks from Covid-19 have focused on patients with diabetes precisely because of their intrinsic ‘vulnerability’, whether it be diabetes mellitus type 2 or type 1. Age, sex and ethnicity were also noted to be amongst the many concomitant risk factors. Anti-cholesterol drugs and antiviral treatment may modulate the risks but the limitations to their use and the potential interaction with anti-Covid-19 treatment must be carefully managed. Finally, the acute respiratory syndrome caused by Covid-19 can lead to metabolic complications in patients with diabetes such as diabetic ketoacidosis or the onset of hyperglycaemia in those patients with undiagnosed or recently discovered diabetes, once they are admitted to hospital.Montpellier Business School reveals its 2020-2025 strategic plan and builds on its values to meet the needs of a world in transition
In a world in transition and in the face of increasingly complex and fluctuating economic, social and ecological environments, MBS has chosen to build on its convictions to implement a new strategic plan up to 2025. “This plan is organized around 4 main axes, each built with the collaboration of all the school’s stakeholders: teacher-researchers, students, alumni, employees from all departments, governance and corporate partners“, says André Deljarry, President of Montpellier Business School. As a pioneer in the field of social openness, MBS intends to reaffirm its differentiating commitment to serving the general interest through action. “The school is aiming for a campus of 5,000 students, 30% of whom are international and 35% from modest SPCs, by 2025“, explains Bruno Ducasse, Managing Director of MBS. The school is committed to a rational development plan. The sustainable growth of its workforce will be driven by the launch of new programs on the themes of the digital and ecological transition together with the development of postgraduate (after the French baccalaureate) activities in France and abroad. Today, nearly 25% of MBS research publications include CSR-related issues and MBS is also one of the Grandes Ecoles with the highest number of teaching hours on this topic. “Our objective is now to structure our expertise around a high-level field”, says Bruno Ducasse. The Programs and Faculty Departments are planning to integrate a new “BEST” (Business Environmental & Social Transition) course of excellence to train women and men who wish to take on an ambassadorial role in the environmental and social transformation of companies and organizations. New modules and certifications will accompany this new area of expertise to give students the keys to “managing diversity”. By 2025, MBS will continue to internationalise its programmes, research and recruitment, with a consolidated presence on three continents (Africa, Asia and America). At the same time, Montpellier Business School will also strengthen its links with regional companies to develop its support in terms of training and consulting. “The aim is to increase the local influence of the school, which will benefit from a new 20,000 m² eco-campus by 2023”, Bruno Ducasse adds. In order to remain concrete and adopt an agile stance, MBS will put in place instruments to measure the impact of its strategy on the lives of its students and the evolution of the society they live in. “The objective is to be able to measure the societal impact of higher education with the establishment of the first observatory of diversities”, reveals Bruno Ducasse. MBS will set up the RIX index (Responsibility Index) to support the local SMEs & ETIs in their social and environmental transformation.University of Pardubice brings Double degree program with TU Dresden
The Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Pardubice together with the Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), Internationales Hochschulinstitut Zittau (IHI Zittau) in Germany organize a Double Degree programme within the Czech postgraduate Master study programme „Economics and Management“, study specialization „Management of Financial Institutions“. Students in the Double Degree programme carry the third semester out at the IHI Zittau by completing the selected compulsory courses offered by the foreign institution (the study stay is covered from the Erasmus+ fund). The study is carried out in the Czech language, the semester abroad is taught in English. After a successful completion of the programme, students are awarded with two diplomas (from the domestic and foreign university).Cancer research published in Science Advances
Cancer is a disease that has touched us all, and although we now know a lot about how cancers develop and grow, we still have a lot to learn. A major factor in cancer development and in treatment resistance is the presence of genome instability. This essentially involves frequent alterations to the genomic DNA of the cell, including changes to the letters of the genetic code as well as more obvious changes such as chromosome deletions, or even movement of large DNA fragments from one chromosome to another. Work in UKRI Future Leader Fellow Dr Chris Staples’ laboratory housed at the North West Cancer Research Institute (in the School of Medical Sciences at Bangor University) focuses on how cells normally prevent such genome instability from occurring. In many cancers, a phenomenon called replication stress is at the heart of these genome instability issues. All cells have to replicate their DNA to divide into two ‘daughter’ cells, and cancer cells are no exception – indeed, they divide more rapidly than normal cells. The term ‘replication stress’ is used to describe any scenario where the cells DNA replication machinery gets into difficulties, and when this occurs, DNA damage and genome instability can result. When the DNA replication machinery gets stuck, the newly-formed DNA is vulnerable to attack by DNA-chewing enzymes called nucleases, particularly a nuclease called MRE11, which is normally involved in fixing broken DNA. Research in the Staples laboratory led at the bench by Dr Laura Bennett identified a largely unstudied protein called MRNIP, as a novel ‘protector’ of this newly-formed DNA. Cancer cells in which the MRNIP gene is ‘knocked out’ by CRISPR-Cas9 technology exhibit high levels of DNA damage, caused partly by excessive degradation of newly-formed DNA by MRE11. The researchers found that MRNIP binds to MRE11 and functions to reduce the rate at which it digests DNA. Without MRNIP, MRE11 extensively degrades this newly-formed DNA, and DNA damage and chromosomal instability ensues.Psychologists From the National Armed Forces Will Start Using Smart Device Created in Latvia
A new smart device has been created as part of the new computerised individual personality assessment system. It was the result of several years of cooperation between researchers from R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) and Riga Technical University (RTU). The device will make psychological testing in the army more convenient and efficient. Psychologists, like other specialists, need various auxiliary tools in order to perform their work at a high quality. If we compare this work with the work of a doctor, then a doctor might need an electrocardiograph and an X-ray, for example, to be able to make an accurate diagnosis and make decisions about treatment. The tools that psychologists usually have at their disposal are different types of psychological tests for testing intelligence, attention span, etc. There are also personality assessment tests to assess various aspects of someone’s personality. The beginnings for developing this smart device for psychologists can be traced back to 2013, when a discussion was held between RSU and psychologists from the Latvian National Armed Forces. It was concluded that Latvian psychologists lack a clinical personality assessment tool. More precisely, it exists, but it is complicated and expensive to adapt to the Latvian cultural environment. Consequently, there were no instruments for clinical personality assessment that were legally available to psychologists in Latvia at that moment. With the help of CPAS, a psychologist can identify various pathological personality traits, such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. At present, the armed forces have ready-made tools at their disposal that are capable of operating both in Latvia and on missions abroad regardless of wireless coverage. A psychologist can carry out a personality assessment of soldiers by asking them to complete the test. It can take from 40 minutes to an hour and a half. The test contains 322 statements with four answer options. The test results are then interpreted by psychologists. It is scientifically proven that the test provides all the necessary information about certain personality traits. CPAS can be used by psychologists from all sectors.Faculty of Law and Administration of the Lazarski University is the best in Poland
The Faculty of Law and Administration took the first place among private universities in the 14th Ranking of Law Faculties prepared by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Thus, for the twelfth time, we have defended our position as leader in the ranking! The faculties of law were evaluated in four categories: -cadre -quality and educational conditions -requirements for students and quality of graduates -graduates' yield for legal applications During the ceremonial gala, which due to the epidemiological threat was held in the online formula, the speech was given by PhD Anna Konert. The Dean of the Faculty of Law and Administration emphasized the commitment of staff, administrative staff and students in a smooth transition to a remote teaching system in connection with a pandemic.Palacký University Olomouc keeps climbing in international rankings
Palacký University has achieved the best position in its history to date in the current issue of the QS World University Rankings 2021. Among more than a thousand evaluated universities from 93 countries, UP ranked 591st–600th place, improving its position year-on-year and reaching the top 50 percent of evaluated universities. An even better result – being included among the top 2.9 percent of evaluated universities – was achieved by Palacký University Olomouc in the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), which was also published in early June. While two years ago the Czech Republic had five representatives in the rankings, in this year’s edition there are twice as many. Palacký University Olomouc has been included in the rankings for the fifth time. While in the 2018 edition it was at 701st–750th position, UP has gradually improved its position to this year’s 591st–600th position. In domestic comparisons, UP is ranked fifth after Charles University, the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Technical University in Prague, and Masaryk University in Brno. Recently, a comparison of world universities was also brought out by U-Multirank, which includes 1759 universities from 92 countries this year, including 15 Czech universities. This is not a typical ranking, however; universities are compared according to selected parameters. In addition to five basic categories (teaching, research, knowledge transfer, internationalisation, and regional involvement) and their 36 subcategories, in which individual institutions obtain grades A–E, universities are also classified by countries, disciplines, and general characteristics. Palacký University received the highest A grade five times: twice in research, twice in knowledge transfer and once in internationalisation. In nine areas, UP held the first or shared first place in the Czech Republic.SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences is opening a campus in Hamburg
In the middle of the beautiful centre of the Hanseatic city, within walking distance of the Alster River and easily accessible by train, subways and bus, SRH Berlin will be offering English-language Master's programmes at its new SRH Campus Hamburg. Experts from tomorrow are able to study future- and industry-oriented programmes in the fields of technology, IT, logistics and business. Campus director Sabine Westermann: „The new SRH Campus Hamburg is a valuable addition to Hamburg's educational landscape. Thanks to the high living standards and moderate living costs, the Hanseatic city is a perfect study destination not only for Germans but also Europeans, Asians, Indians and the rest of the world.“ International students in particular do not only find an open and multicultural atmosphere in Hamburg, but also a strong economy that enables attractive career prospects. The Port of Hamburg is Europe's third largest container handling centre and home to numerous hubs and branches from the maritime sector, logistics and trade. But also companies and agencies around the aviation industry, IT and media, life sciences, finance and insurance as well as renewable energies are also located in the north of the country – that’s why Hamburg is also called “The gate to the world”.Magnetic nanoparticles for Covid-19 testing in practical applications
Miniature particles with a magnetic core and a thin silica shell on the surface to isolate viral RNA developed by scientists at the Regional Centre of Advanced Technology and Materials (RCPTM), the Faculty of Science, are now being translated into commercial applications. Commercial companies have already purchased first batches of the magnetic balls for diagnostic purposes. Nanoparticles are an important part of the new Covid-19 testing technology designed at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (IOCB) of the Czech Academy of Sciences, whose help was fundamental at the time of the culminating coronavirus pandemic. The development of the testing protocol was a response to the lack of commercial test kits at a time of the coronavirus crisis. RCPTM’s researchers responded quickly to the demand of colleagues at IOCB. Thanks to extensive experience with research into nanomaterials for biomedical applications, they prepared, within a couple of days, a new type of magnetic nanoballs, dozens of nanometers in size, with a suitably modified surface to isolate nucleic acids.The University of Pardubice ranks among the TOP 1,000 schools in the world
The University of Pardubice ranks among the TOP 1,000 higher education institutes in the world and one of the TOP 10 in the Czech Republic, as shown by QS World University Rankings 2021, one of the world's most prestigious rankings. According to its authors, the comparison serves not only for future students and their parents as a school selection guide, but also for current students, academics, employers, government and everyone else as an indicator of the university's quality. The methodology of evaluation of individual universities in the QS Rankings is based on six dimensions. A total of 50 percent of ratings are reputations among academics and graduate employers, 20 percent are citations in the Scopus database, 20 percent are the number of students per academic staff member, 5 percent are the percentage of foreign academics, and 5 percent are the percentage of international students. The QS World University Rankings are among the most prestigious in the world, next to the Shanghai Ranking and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. It is designed to provide a multidimensional view of the relative strengths of the world's leading universities. The QS Rankings began to be published under the original name THE-QS World University Rankings only a year later than ARWU, i.e. in 2004. This second oldest international ranking of universities is compiled by the research company Quacquarelli Symonds Limited (QS).Novel function of platelets in tumour blood vessels found by Scientists at Uppsala University.
Scientists at Uppsala University have discovered a hitherto unknown function of blood platelets in cancer. In mouse models, these platelets have proved to help preserve the vascular barrier which makes blood-vessel walls selectively impermeable, thereby reducing the spread of tumour cells to other parts of the body. The study is published in the journal Cancer Research. Platelets, or thrombocytes, as they are also termed, are tiny cell fragments that form in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood. If we are injured and start bleeding they clump together, sealing off the wound while also helping the blood to coagulate. When the platelets are activated – which occurs not only in wounds but also in tumours – the substances known as growth factors contained in the platelets are released into their immediate surroundings. One is platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB). In the study, the researchers investigated what happens when the PDGFB in platelets, but not in other cell types, is deleted in individuals with cancer. PDGFB from platelets was found to be essential, to attract supporting cells to the tumour blood vessels. In healthy tissue, on the other hand, the platelets did not to perform this function. If PDGFB was lacking in platelets, the quantity of circulating tumour cells increased and they spread to other parts of the body to a much higher degree. Previous studies have shown that PDGFB from cells of another kind, endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels, is necessary to attract supporting cells to the vessels when they form. According to the new study, this function in tumours also requires PDGFB from platelets, which distinguishes them from healthy tissue. From a medical point of view, it may be advantageous, in some situations, to reduce platelet activity in order to prevent blood clots, for example. Moreover, previous research shows that platelets can promote spread of tumour cells.Start of the Academic Year 2020/2021 at HAMK.
HAMK is preparing to return to campuses gradually during autumn. HAMK is planning to start the autumn semester as follows: Beginning student groups will be present at campuses. Teachers will take care of safety in contact teaching. Beginning international groups will start online, apart from hybrid models. Continuing student groups will study the first module online and return to campuses in the beginning of the second module, 26 October. Lab exercises and other situations requiring contact teaching can be arranged for continuing students also during the first module, taking into account social distancing and good hygiene. The presence of teachers and other staff members on campuses will be scheduled in order to prevent wide transmission of the coronavirus and to secure our activities. Staff can for instance be split into two groups that take weekly turns working on campus and online. This plan is based on the current situation and expectations. Should the coronavirus situation change and/or authorities give new guidelines, these instructions will be changed accordingly.The employee scholarship: a new opportunity for the MBS teams to contribute to equal opportunities
The scholarships awarded by the MBS Foundation and its business partners celebrate the skills, the academic level and the potential of students for whom financial barriers could’ve prevented their ambition to pursue the studies they deserve.MBS Foundation stands out by reinvesting all the donations it receives in actions in favour of equal opportunities. Its mission is to finance the various mechanisms aimed at helping students both socially and financially through grants. It also supports and encourages entrepreneurship with the Young Innovative and Responsible Company prize which finances the project of young entrepreneur students and fresh graduates (less than 3 years).Riga Stradins University (RSU) is ranked among the 25 best universities in the world in the research category on Open Access publications in the U-Multirank international university rankings published
Overall RSU has received the seven of highest grade A, which is a significantly better result than a year ago. RSU received the most As in the field of regional involvement, which evaluates the employment opportunities of bachelor's and master's degree graduates in the region, as well as the proportion of publications with co-authors from the region. RSU also received A ratings in other areas of the U-Multirank performance evaluation – 2 in the research category, for example. In these areas, the results from creative activities and the availability of publications in open access journals were assessed. Compared to the previous year, RSU has managed to improve significantly in one of the international indicators, where the A grade was given for the high proportion of international academic staff. RSU also has significantly increased its results in the Knowledge Transfer category where the A grade was given for publications cited in international patents. RSU also achieved good results in the Teaching and Learning section, where it received the second-best grade B, for example for the graduation rate in master's programs, and for graduating in the time allocated in the bachelor's programs. In total, the rating evaluates more than 30 criteria in five areas of performance.Partial lifting of restrictions at Lazarski University
Pursuant to Regulation No. 4/2020 of the Rector and President of Lazarski University, conducting didactic activities in direct contact to the extent necessary to continue the implementation of didactic and research tasks. This applies to classes that cannot be completed using distance learning methods and techniques, including: - laboratory classes, classes at the Center of Medical Simulations and clinical classes at the Medical Faculty of the Lazarski University - conducting some exams and final credits with the consent and under the supervision of the relevant Dean - conducting some diploma and final examinations with the consent and under the supervision of the relevant Dean - conducting selected classes for the last years of studies, education of doctoral students and participants of classes conducted by the Postgraduate Education Center with the consent and under the control of the Dean - resumption of the Lazarski University Library Campus catering services are also being restored.Students and employees staying at the University is possible to a greater extent, in accordance with the Sanitary and Epidemiological Principles. Preventive procedures for suspected coronavirus infection are still in force, in particular, Rules for the admission of students, post-graduate students, post-graduate students, employees and persons cooperating with the University on the basis of civil law contracts returning from abroad.RTU RETAINS ITS LEADER POSITION IN LATVIA IN THE PRESTIGIOUS QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
Riga Technical University (RTU) has been ranked in the 701 to 750 range of QS World University Rankings 2021, which is the highest score among three Latvian universities included in the ranking. RTU received the highest appraisal for its increase of foreign students, and in this indicator RTU improved its position by 66 places, ranking 371st in the global assessment. RTU has been evaluated on different rankings and with different assessment methods un has been ranked as the best university in Latvia – this is attested by U-Multirank results published on June 9 and by Times Higher Education Impact results published in April, in which RTU was ranked among 200 best universities in the world. On QS Stars ranking as well, RTU was evaluated with five stars, which is the highest evaluation. The achievement of RTU on QS World University Rankings 2021 confirms once more that we are the national leaders. Of course, RTU does not have the success as the University of Tartu, but considering the funding available to us, the results are very good, because our calculations show that as we move towards internationally recognised excellence, among all Latvian universities RTU has the highest return, taking into account budget opportunities, emphasizes Juris Iljins, Director of Administration. 1002 higher education institutions from 93 countries included in the QS World University Rankings 2021 ranking were assessed taking into consideration six criteria – Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Citations per Paper, Faculty/Student Ratio, as well as International Faculty and International Students. In four out of six criteria – International Students, Faculty/Student Ratio, Citations per Paper and Academic Reputation – RTU has shown higher results in comparison with the previous year. The assessment of Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation is based on extensive international surveys. Employers and academicians not only from Latvia but also from other countries expressed their opinion about RTU. The performance of higher education institutions in the remaining four criteria was assessed on the basis of submitted data that was verified according to internationally available information. Internationalization is one of the most significant priorities of RTU, which has been emphasised in RTU strategy. Targeted activities have resulted in a rapid increase in the number of foreign students in recent years, and currently there are students from 86 countries studying at RTU.Virtual Summer Start-up Week launched to help students become real-world entrepreneurs
Fifty three entrepreneurial students from Bangor have won places on a free online Summer Start-Up week to help get their business ideas off the ground. The unique Summer Start-Up Week, beginning on Monday 8th June, offers five days of inspiration, learning and networking to nearly 500 students, to turn ideas into businesses, social enterprises and freelancing careers. The Course, which is now full was open to anyone over the age of 16, who is a current student or has studied at a welsh institution. As the coronavirus pandemic has led to unprecedented times for people living in Wales and across the world, the Summer Start-Up Week has been driven and launched collaboratively by all Welsh Colleges and Universities to ensure young people separated by social distancing can join a virtual start-up community and continue to develop their ideas. The week will be run by experienced entrepreneurs and business experts, including Katy Hayward from honey farm and education centre Felin Honeybees, Teresa Carnall from TBC Marketing, Colwyn Bay, Chris Walker of People Systems International, Anglesey, Sid Madge of Mad Hen Ltd, Gwynedd and Kath Lewis a business mentor from Llandudno. A mix of daily live webinars and Q&A sessions cover topics such as market research, finance, digital marketing and networking, helping participants to develop skills and gain information and contacts to turn ideas into viable businesses or social enterprises. Over twenty Welsh entrepreneurs will be involved in sharing their start up knowledge. Confirmed speakers include Alana Spencer, owner of Ridiculously Rich confectionary business. Winner of BBC One's The Apprentice in 2016, Alana, originally from Aberystwyth, will share her own business experience and advice to the students and graduates taking part. Emma Forouzan, Student Enterprise Manager at USW and Chair of Summer Start-Up Week: "At universities and colleges in Wales, we see first-hand the exceptional entrepreneurial minds of many of our students and we’re continually looking for ways to nurture and support those students with strong business ideas. Even in this current climate, it's important for ambitious young people with a business concept to think about their options and take advantage of free support available to them. Through this all-Wales collaboration of institutions we are taking the opportunity to nurture a national online community, full of ideas and enthusiasm, connected to the wealth of start-up support available here in Wales.Ulster University develop COVID-19 symptom checker, diagnostic and contact tracker app
Researchers from Ulster University’s Schools of Engineering and Computing have developed an app to check for COVID-19 symptoms and provide advice. The app collects information, checks for symptoms, helps perform diagnostics and provides advice. Data from the app can also be used to aid contact tracing and inform policy and decision makers in their overall recovery strategy. A novel add-on to improve overall result accuracy is the ability to read an antibody test result that is performed in the home setting. Led by Professors Jim McLaughlin and Chris Nugent, the Connected Health Innovation Centre Team project team used technology based on their Xprize Tricorder success in 2017 where they finished joint third in a global competition to address similar diagnostic solutions currently required to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The App is available to download for open access development purposes and the team have presented the App to local, national and international government bodies to demonstrate the new integrated concept of register, symptom check, diagnose (via lateral flow) and then contact track. The multimodal diagnostic algorithm improves the overall operating characteristics by increasing sensitivity and specificity. It is hoped the app will also form the basis of a new Ulster University led clinical trial on the use of integrated apps and antibody testing. The app asks questions about the users’ age, gender, postcode, and involvement in the general flu vaccine programme. And checks for symptoms: fever, continuous cough, sore throat, muscle/joint pain, loss of sense of smell or taste, and exhaustion. The presence of any of these symptoms triggers additional questions: the duration of the symptoms, if there are difficulties in breathing, problems with the immune system, difficulty in doing normal activities, and if s/he lives with other people or not. Advice is then given accordingly depending on the severity of the symptoms and risk factors. Clear instructions are provided, which were sourced from HSCNI and NICE guidelines. Emphasis is given in staying at home when possible and in severe cases hospitalisation procedures are detailed. The user can opt-in to send anonymous collected data to a server including current and historical GPS locations via the user’s smartphone. The app is also capable of handling data from biomarkers tests such as RT-PCR tests (to test if you have the virus up to 14 days of infection) and antibody home tests (blood based to check if you have had the virus) such as low cost rapid Lateral Flow diagnostics systems. Data from the app can be summarized within our cloud based viewer and then data can be alerted, trended and monitored for policymakers, decision makers and epidemiology reports which will aid the overall recovery strategy and eventual Exit. The app also uses Bluetooth to exchange anonymous keys with nearby smartphones that have the app installed. These keys are saved in a server. Should one user report a positive result of the biomarker through the app, the users that exchanged keys are notified through their app. This can prompt users to look for testing for COVID-19.Adaptation of on-campus education in the autumn semester at Jönköping University
Jönköping University will plan for on-campus education to start in the beginning of the autumn semester 2020. The decision has been made after discussions within the JU executive team and is based on the scenario that the autumn’s recommendations and guidelines allow for the implementation of on-campus education. The discussions have taken several different scenarios into account and has resulted in the directional decision to plan for the operations at JU to be carried out on-campus from the start of the autumn semester. The spring semester will, as planned, be completed off-campus, and all summer courses will be conducted off-campus. An internal work group will be appointed to investigate and develop criteria and guidelines for how the operations on-campus will be implemented with adaptation and regards to the risk of infection. These criteria will be developed with consideration to the fact that different educational programmes and courses require different resources. “We want to give our staff and our students, both current and future, the vital possibility to plan ahead. Therefore, we have made a directional decision regarding the education this autumn. We are planning for adapted on-campus studies that take national guidelines and recommendations into account”, says Agneta Marell, President of Jönköping University.New project to analyse novel coronavirus in wastewater
The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in wastewater. Scientists from Uppsala University, KTH and SLU have received support from Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and SciLifeLab to determine if wastewater treatment plants can effectively eliminate the virus from raw wastewater. The scientists will also investigate if there is a connection between the amount of virus in the wastewater and the spread of COVID-19 in the community, if you can predict the virus spread from the wastewater concentrations and finally if there are any mutations of the virus. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly around the world and permeated all levels of society. Recent studies have shown that it is possible to detect the virus in wastewater. Scientists hope that they can get information about the virus levels in a community by detecting it in wastewater, which is very useful for epidemiologists and authorities. A team of scientists at the department of Ecology and Genetics at Uppsala University and at the department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health at SLU in collaboration with Uppsala Vatten and scientists at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Oslo and Karolinska Institute in Stockholm will study the concentration and genomic composition of the virus in wastewater. The project aims to investigate if the concentrations of virus in the wastewater is connected to the spread of the virus in the community, if it is possible to predict the virus spread by monitoring the wastewater virus concentration and finally the scientists want to investigate the mutations and diversity of the virus in the wastewater. The team is led by Dr Anna Szekely, researcher at the department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University. “Opposite to the virus tests done at hospitals that only look at the sickest patients, wastewater can reflect the amount and diversity of the virus within the entire population of a town,” Anna Szekely said. The team plans to monitor the virus at the wastewater treatment plant of Uppsala, as well as analyse and compare wastewater samples from different regions within Sweden and the world where COVID-19 pandemic is in different stages.Ulster University confirms plans for the 2020/2021 Academic Year
Ulster University’s Interim Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Bartholomew has today confirmed that the first term of academic year 2020/21 will commence on 21 September with plans to deliver lectures and other teaching online for semester one. Some on-campus activities will take place, following a robust local risk assessment and priority will be given to using campus spaces for practice-based learning activities including lab work. Staff who can work from home will continue to do so until at least the end of August and after the summer, the University will look to move to a phased, managed return of all staff within public health guidelines and with the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and students as its primary concern. In order to actively plan for the return of some campus-based activities, there will be a safe, phased return to campus for some staff in early summer and the University’s People & Culture team will be on hand to inform and support those colleagues through this transition. Looking further forward, as staff and students return to campus over time, so too will the required support services, staff and contractors come back on siteStudy at KTU with a scholarship
Education is one of the key factors of success when talking about achieving career goals and overall life satisfaction. Top-quality studies without a hefty price tag is even better. Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania is taking care of this: every applicant automatically becomes a candidate to receive the scholarship dedicated to international students with strong academic record and motivation. “The classes usually aren’t big, the lecturers are friendly and willing to help with any questions you have and you also get a lot of free time outside the university. I like that the university is flexible and the study modules are well adjusted to the job market needs”, says Sona Yavrumyan from Armenia, studying Informatics at KTU with the full scholarship from the University. The girl who had always been passionate about STEM, has chosen computer science for her bachelor’s studies as it is a practical option. Only in her first year, Sona has already joined a GIFTed community – KTU study path for talented students. “I have had opportunities to develop my soft skills, participate in team projects, hackathons, summer camps, study an extra module, all with some of the best students of KTU”, says Sona. KTU is the 2nd best university in Lithuania, and among the top 53 universities in Eastern and Central Europe and Asia (QS WUR, 2020). The so-called “soft” dimension of humanities, social sciences and arts are included in all study programmes, making the University graduates ready for the global challenges of tomorrow.ESDHEM third-year apprenticeship: opening at SKEMA’s Lille campus
For 25 years, SKEMA has been promoting apprenticeship courses, which combine alternating periods of professional experience and academic learning, often while encouraging social advancement as these courses are exempt of fee. From the start of the new academic year in September 2020, ESDHEM and its partner FORMASUP, which runs the Apprentices Training Centre (CFA) for the Nord-Pas de Calais region, will offer the possibility of studying for a degree in economic management with apprenticeship at our Lille campus. “For many years, ESDHEM has been offering this apprenticeship-based degree in Paris, and has seen intake grow from 30 apprentices per year to 90. We would like to extend this success to SKEMA’s other campuses, starting with Lille and a first group of 30 apprentices. This branch is unique as it allows apprentices to combine earning a university degree with preparation for the competitive entrance exams for major business schools, in a Grande École environment,” explained Oussama Ammar, director of undergraduate programmes at SKEMA (BBA/ESDHEM). ESDHEM offers a dual course combining a degree programme with preparation for the competitive entrance exams to the Grandes Ecoles business schools. For more than 25 years, the ESDHEM programme in undergraduate learning and apprenticeship has combined a university degree in private law or economy and management, preparation for the competitive entrance exams to the Grandes Ecoles, work placements, a term overseas and community life. ESDHEM prepares its students for the competitive exams known as Admissions sur Titre (AST) which they can enter at the end of the second and / or third year. More than 90% of the students at ESDHEM obtain their degree and more than 80% go on to a Grande École (90% going to a school that is listed within the top 12 in France).Digitalisation on a New Level: RSU Students’ Experience Studying at Home
Gusto the dachshund takes every opportunity to compete with the laptop and curl up in its owner’s lap, 5th year medical student at R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU), Lauma Gulbe. The puppy was adopted from a shelter and is the biggest (although very pleasant) obstacle to studying from home during the emergency situation, according to Lauma. The University has taken care of the rest – materials on the e-studies platform, Zoom lectures, classes, tests, problem-solving online with faculty management and even additional tools for coping with stress, says Lauma. Her experience is supported by the first results of the RSU survey that 2,071 students participated in. To look out for the health and safety of its students, academic staff and administration, RSU switched to remote studies already on 11 March, before the national emergency situation was declared. Previously, lectures and classes that had been recorded by lecturers on Panopto were watched on average 250 – 300 hours a day. After the national state of emergency, this curve increased dramatically. Over the last weeks, 8,685 virtual classes and consultations have been held, and more than 2,000 new video materials have been created for students. These are not only lectures, but also simulation technologies and demonstrations of various manipulations. All in all, the activity in the RSU e-studies environment has increased from 50,000 activities a day in February to 150,000 activities a day in April.Financial Times - Executive Education - Customised programs – NEOMA ranked for the first time
NEOMA appears in this ranking and is placed 77th in the world and 10th in France.The customised programmes stand out in particular on the following criteria: • "Follow up", which assesses the quality of the post-training follow-up (22nd in the world). This criteria is calculated on the basis of responses provided by participants and reflects the satisfaction of our clients. • "Faculty Diversity", which assesses teaching staff diversity (ranked 15th worldwide) • "Growth", which measures the growth in sales of our custom-built programmes (ranked 20th worldwide). "This remarkable entry is the result of a strong development of tailor-made programs within our Executive Education" explains Delphine Manceau, Dean of NEOMA Business School.Biologists have found two new species of Thismiaceae in Borneo
Another two new species of Thismiaceae have been discovered on Borneo by a team of scientists from the Palacký University Faculty of Science and the Crop Research Institute. Thismia ornata is named after the inside of its flower, which is covered with a bright orange net resembling ornate lace. Thismia coronata, on the other hand, was named after the top of the flower, which resembles a crown. The description of the new species was published in the international scientific journal Willdenowia. The team of Czech scientists already has twelve new Thismiaceae species to their credit. Both new species of Thismiaceae were actually found by biologists in Borneo by accident. In the local forests, they were searching for completely different species, which had already been described, but which had not been seen since their discovery. “In the case of Thismia ornata, we set out to find the species described by the Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in the mid-19th century. Instead, we found a plant whose flower reaches up to 12 cm in diameter and boasts a strong coloration. Especially unique is the inner part of the flower, which is covered with a deep orange net resembling lace – a form not occurring in any other known species of Thismia. This gave us a name for the plant,” described Martin Dan?ák from the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Thismia ornata is also interesting in that this species is not completely unknown, as it occurs in several localities near the city of Kuching, the capital of the Malaysian state of Sarawak. Therefore, it has not escaped the attention of many amateur photographers, who have published their photos of it on the Internet. “However, no one realised it was a hitherto unknown species. This Thismiaceae also has not so many demands on its environment, and grows even where other species would not occur. For example, we found it on the edge of the forest in the local mini zoo, right next to the crocodile enclosure,” added Michal Sochor from the Crop Research Institute. The second Thismiaceae, Thismia coronata, was discovered by scientists while searching for the species Thismia goodii. Thanks to its bright blue flowers, this plant is one of the iconic species of Thismiaceae. “Interestingly, the two species are actually very similar. Although Thismia coronata has yellow-orange flowers, both species have the top of the flower in the shape of a mitre, which in technical terms is literally used for the upper part of the flower of some Thismiaceae precisely because of its resemblance to a bishop’s mitre. Thanks to its yellow-orange colour and the special skirting around the flower, it also resembles a royal crown, which led us to name it coronata,” described Michal Hroneš from the Department of Botany. This species of Thismiaceae grows in the mountains of northern Borneo, on the border between the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, and has so far been found in only one place. Like most other Thismiaceae, it grows in deep shady tropical rainforests. “Another piece of good news is that in January this year we finally did find the blue-flowered Thismia goodii,” added Dan?ák. These two species are now the eleventh and twelfth new species of Thismiaceae that Olomouc scientists have found in Borneo. Experts from the Faculty of Science have been going on expeditions to the rainforest in Borneo for several years. Their first discovered Thismiaceae was Thismia hexagona, followed by Thismia brunneomitra, and the third rare species was a Thismia which was given the attribute inconspicua - inconspicuous.Ulster University playing its part in reducing food wastage across Europe in €4.8m project
Ulster University is playing an important role in reducing food wastage across North West Europe thanks to an innovative €4.8m project which adapts and applies existing innovative technology to food supply chains. ‘REAMIT’ - Improving Resource Efficiency of Agribusiness supply chains by Minimising waste using Big Data and Internet of Things sensors - is an EU project led from the University of Bedfordshire which aims to reduce food waste and improve resource efficiency. Ulster University have been integral to the project having secured funding through the EU Interreg North-West Europe Programme. Ulster’s Dr Joan Condell leads an interdisciplinary team from the university, including Professor Elaine Ramsey (Department of Global Business and Enterprise) and Dr Ruth Price (Trials Manager) alongside Dr Bryan Gardiner, Dr Daniel Kelly and Dr Pratheepan Yogarajah (all from School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems). With a budget of €4.88m, the project will run for 42 months until 2023, with partners coming from various organisations and companies in the UK, France, Ireland and Netherlands. Reducing food waste is of highest priority for the EU, having committed to halving food waste by 2030 by focusing on all stages in the supply chain. REAMIT focuses on foods typically wasted in large quantities such as fruits, vegetables, meat and fish within the supply chain of farms, packaging sites, food processors, distribution, logistics, wholesalers and retailers. The project’s aim is to adapt existing technologies to best fit the needs of the food supply chain management system in this region of Europe. Through testing and adaptation, these technologies will continuously monitor and record food quality and signal potential food quality issues. This analysis will then help to inform decisions that minimise food waste, such as redistribution to nearby customers.Are you from Europe? Don’t miss your chance to study at KTU for free
This week, the first stage of general admissions to master’s studies at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) started. During the general admissions, all the applicants are ranked according to their admission score and become candidates to a state-funded study place. All EU nationals and global citizens of Lithuanian origin are granted this opportunity. “KTU grabbed my attention because the Food Science and Safety master’s course is designed to spend your time researching, while also taking the fundamental subjects. It felt like the right fit, it offered something new in the way of studying, they mentioned group works in laboratories, projects that we can build and showcase, this was the kind of hands-on learning experience that I was hoping to find. And Lithuania is part of the European Union, so travelling and living are not strictly regulated, as an EU citizen, I did not have to acquire a visa”, says Nóra Emilia Nagybákay, KTU first-year master’s student from Hungary. Although she was dreaming of studying abroad, the girl was looking for the options to study without needing to pay for tuition. After learning that the state-funded places are available to EU citizens, she contacted the International Office at KTU and I was reassured that she was qualified to apply and to compete for the state funding. So far, Nóra is very happy about her choice: “KTU has the supporting environment, where you can learn and use your knowledge to create, to discover something new and be part of the scientific community. And if you are stuck or have a problem there will always be someone to help you out, be that your groupmate, mentor or academic advisor”. According to national rankings announced on May 6, 2020, KTU’s academic staff is the best in Lithuania, the University’s studies are very well ranked by students and the employers. KTU is the 2nd best university in Lithuania. According to Invest Lithuania Agency, graduates of Lithuanian universities in science, computing, maths, engineering and construction are in the 4th place in EU. If you are thinking about studying in these fields, KTU might be one of the best options for you: KTU is among the world’s best 500 universities in the world in Engineering and Technology, and No. 53 among the universities of emerging Europe and central Asia by QS World Universities rankings. KTU is offering 26 master’s programmes in English. Check them all here. The first stage of general admissions to master’s studies is ending on June 25, 2020. The EU nationals and global citizens of Lithuania descent are automatically eligible for competing for a state-funded study place.More educational places for Jönköping University
Due to the change in conditions of the Swedish labor market as a result of the coronavirus, more people will want to study in higher education. The Swedish Government has therefore proposed an increase in the number of places within higher education. Jönköping University has been granted more educational places for summer courses and basic year studies. To meet the regional and national need, Jönköping University has shown a great interest for more educational places. The decision that Jönköping University has been granted the opportunity to offer more summer courses, as well as to provide more opportunities to study a basic science year and a basic year in finance, came on 23 April. Jönköping University has also actively shown an interest for more educational places for longer educational programmes. New educational places for studies within all shortage occupations at Bachelor’s and Master’s level will be discussed at the Ministry of Education and Research later this spring. “With the changed situation, it is very gratifying that our wishes have been fulfilled and that JU already can give notice of more educational places and thereby contribute to further skills development and further education,” says Agneta Marell, President Jönköping University. The distribution of increased educational places applies to the condition that the Swedish Parliament decides on the revised spring budget in accordance with the Swedish Government's proposal. In connection with the demand for more educational places, Jönköping University has ensured that the resources required to carry out an extended education assignment of high quality are available.Become a mentor for new international students
The International Department of R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) invites students to become mentors to new international students starting from August 2020. The aim of the mentor programme is to enhance the international students' experience at RSU by assisting them throughout their first study semester. Mentoring offers a great opportunity for students to get to know foreign cultures and establish contacts and friendships with people from different countries. A mentor is an advisor who guides newly-enrolled international students at the university by explaining the study process and academic requirements, as well as giving practical advice on everyday matters and life in Riga. A mentor encourages the new students and helps them settle into their new homes. The new students can approach their mentors with questions about how to act in certain situations, or how public institutions in Latvia work. Mentors play a significant role in the life of newly-admitted students and are often the first person students turn to. To better prepare for mentoring, we will conduct trainings for new mentors. Trainings are scheduled on 17 and 30 June and 12 August, students who do not have experience in mentoring are asked to attend one of the scheduled trainings. We are kindly inviting students to join the mentors’ family, share experience gained during studies at RSU and make friendships with people, who soon will become a part of the RSU community.Waste2H2 - Waste to Hydrogen
The Polytechnic of Portalegre, through its VALORIZA research center, adds another project to the 30 or so currently underway. The “Waste2H2 - Waste to Hydrogen” project, submitted in November 2019 to the Twinning contest, as part of the Widening program of Horizonte 2020, was one of 13 Portuguese projects recently approved by the European Commission, receiving a financing of around 900 thousand euros. Led by a team of researchers from the Polytechnic of Portalegre, it includes partners from three different countries: Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan - KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden; ENEA - Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, from Italy, and KIT - Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, from Germany. The “Waste2H2” project aims to carry out research and technological development activities in the area of converting waste to hydrogen by thermal gasification technologies, promoting a set of knowledge transfer activities, creating opportunities for networking and collaboration between institutions and companies in the countries involved.Life as a student in a virtual classroom
Since March 23rd, NEOMA students have been following all their courses in a virtual classroom. Since this date, more than 100 classes are being taught each day to more than 3000 students. There are something like 10,000 ZOOM connections every day, which means almost 100 % student attendance. A new situation during which professors and students exchange ideas, share points of view and hold discussions via their computer screens. How are students finding this new learning method? A number of NEOMA students share their experience. For the professors, the shift to remote teaching has meant a radical rethinking of their teaching methods. For the students, the shift to a 100% digital format is relatively simple as long as they are familiar with the technology. "The classes are in the form of video conferences on Zoom. It is a really good application with a number of practical options such as screen sharing, for example," explains Benjamin, a student. "The transition is going really well, and although oral participation is dense, it isn't too noisy. I honestly don't see a better option than the one we are using at present." David, another student notes just how much more available the teachers are. "They're well prepared and they listen. We receive a lot of teaching material by e-mail, exercises and corrections. The teachers stay online after the video-conference and answer any questions we may have. They try to make themselves available as much as possible and that is highly appreciated, especially under these conditions". Manon, also a student, notes that "the video conference format was a bit surprising at first. But it nevertheless allows for direct exchange with the teachers. It hasn't really had any effect on understanding the course. Plus, we can easily contact our teachers, if we need to." Even if the pedagogical continuity has been assured, the disruption to the students' usual routine has left them with mixed feelings of enthusiasm and nostalgia for traditional classroom teaching. "I'm a real advocate of face-to-face teaching. I don't deny that there are a number of advantages to remote classes, especially from a practical viewpoint. But at times it is complicated to stay concentrated because at home there are a lot of distractions.... However, I have the exams in sight and I'm doing my best to remain focused," says David. Some feels differently and sees digital technology as an opportunity to explore new learning methods. "Paradoxically, we are less intimidated. With the Chat option, we exchange more during the class, speaking is easier and we share more ideas than in the classroom. And all from the comfort of our own home! I am really impressed by this new format. I think it is really, really good!" Benjamin concludes by sharing his secret for success. "The days are passing by really quickly and although we have a lot of work, I try to take a few breaks. It's a question of finding a new balance!"Student nurses join the fight against Covid-19
Over 600 final year Nursing and Midwifery students from Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast and Open University have joined the fight against Covid-19 by entering the Health and Social Care (HSC) workforce early. These students, in the last six months of their pre-registration education, have elected to take their final clinical placement now to support the HSC during this crisis. Nursing and Midwifery students will play a vital role in delivering high quality care in hospitals and healthcare settings across Northern Ireland during this difficult time. The Nursing & Midwifery Council have worked with?the?Government?Departments of the four nations?to develop legislation to enable final year students within six months of registration to go into the NHS/HSC?in a paid capacity. They will undertake all the duties of a final year student to complete the learning outcomes of their programme whilst providing much needed support to clinical teams on the front line. Chief Nursing Officer Professor Charlotte McArdle paid tribute to the nursing and midwifery students: “It is highly commendable that our nursing and midwifery students are embracing the opportunity to help at this time of great need. As senior students I know they have much to offer and will be a valuable asset to our HSC system. I wish to extend a personal thank you to all nursing and midwifery students and assure them of my full support as they rise to this challenge.” Universities have been working hard over the past few weeks to prepare their students for their early entry into the workforce. This has included an update on clinical skills such as the assessment of the deteriorating patient with emphasis on airway and respiratory management, alongside professional issues in practice for the transition from student to registrant.IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin
It will be held from September 4 to 7, 2018, in Coimbra, the IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin. The 1st circular can be viewed here. Integrating the themes of Oceanography, Geology of the Margin, Coastal Dynamics, Resources and Sustainability, Di(geodi/biodi)versity, Use and spatial planning of the Atlantic Margin, the IX MIA Symposium will contemplate 4 excursions and associates to the 2nd Workshop and Field trip of IGCP 655 Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event: Impact on marine carbon cycle and ecosystems. This event is a joint organization of the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Coimbra and MARE (Center for Marine Sciences and Environment).Politécnico de Lisboa: U!REKA’S new partner
The collaboration platform U!REKA is strengthening its presence in Europe with the addition of two new institutional partners: Politécnico de Lisboa (IPL) and Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO). By expanding its membership to include universities of applied sciences in Portugal and the Czech Republic, U!REKA is establishing itself as an increasingly diversified and comprehensive European network for the exchange of knowledge between higher education institutions. The Urban Research and Education Knowledge Alliance (U!REKA) is a vibrant partnership of urban-focused higher education institutions (HEIs) across Europe. Established in 2016, its ambition is to educate, shape and deliver the EU professionals of tomorrow who will be contributing to an inclusive, intercultural and open minded professional Europe. “Joining the U!REKA consortium brings our institution strategic added value as well as smart and sustainable educational benefits for our students and staff. It will strengthen our ability to forge solutions to urban issues in Lisbon and beyond. IPL’s board is pleased to join this growing network of institutions committed to internationalisation and urban innovation,” says Ana Christina Perdigao, IPL Vice President of Politécnico de Lisboa.Honorary Scholarship Competition
Students (of the first and second cycles, and integrated studies, starting from the third semester) wishing to participate in the Honorary Scholarship Competition shall submit the following documents to LSMU Student Representative Office (LSMU Student? atstovyb?) until April 17, 2020: 1. An application letter to participate in the Honorary Scholarship Contest (addressed to the Rector); 2. A certificate, indicating the grade point average (GPA), approved by the Dean or a person appointed by the Dean; 3. A free-form Curriculum Vitae; 4. Documents supporting active participation in student activity and/or the need for financial aid (students who have lost their parents (adoptive parents) or guardians, students with disabled parents (adoptive parents) or guardians, or students from large families); 5. Other documents supporting the achievements of a student (copies). NOTE: The grade point average (GPA) shall be not lower than 8. The scholarship shall not be awarded to students who have already been awarded a scholarship from other funds in year 2019/2020. The submitted documents shall be compiled into one document, saved in PDF format, the title of which must include the Name, Surname, Faculty (abbreviated) and course (year). Documents shall be submitted via e-mail socialinis.komitetas@lsmusa.lt.Bangor University contributes to global COVID-19 related research
Scientists at Bangor University are joining the global fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic. A group of leading academics are to pool their expertise to develop new ways of mass-monitoring levels of SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes the newly named COVID-19 illness. Professor Davey Jones of the School of Natural Sciences and one of the project leaders explained: “An accurate estimation of the amount of infection circulating in the whole community would be valuable information for those charged with planning for and controlling the spread of disease. While the number of hospitalisation of COVID-19 cases provides some measure of the disease within the population, it provides no reliable information on mild infections and carriers who show no symptoms.” Random ‘spot checks’ and thermal imaging cameras have been introduced to screen for infections, though these are costly to implement and very imprecise. Better methods are needed to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the wider population. As SARS-CoV-2 virus is shed in human faeces in high amounts, Bangor University’s research group are to test using wastewater to provide a powerful indicator of disease incidence at any point in time. This is particularly suitable as most UK urban centres are served by only one or two wastewater treatment works, providing a single integrated signal of millions of people in a single sample. This NERC ‘Urgency’ funded project at the Bangor University’s College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering will achieve several goals by using wastewater to provide near real-time information on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 within the UK population. Prof Dave Chadwick, a co-leader at the School of Natural Sciences explained further: “Real-time wastewater monitoring of the rise and subsequent decline of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK can be compared to conventional disease reporting metrics such as current COVID-19 hospitalization cases. It will enable similarities in the abundance of SARS-CoV-2 in the major urban centres of the UK to be identified.” Dr Shelagh Malham, also a co- leader of the research at the School of Ocean Sciences explained: “In the longer term, we hope to demonstrate how wastewater can be used for the integrated surveillance of human illness-causing viruses within the human population and provide bodies such as national government, NHS, Public Health England and Wales and water companies with critical scientific information to be able to make informed decisions on disease control and respond and adapt to potential future disease epidemics.” Prof David Thomas, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research commented: “While the University has inevitably had to place much of its active research projects on hold due to the national importance of this research, it clearly has to go ahead.”STUDIES AT RTU CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED REMOTELY
Studies and scientific work at Riga Technical University (RTU) continue remotely during the period when precautionary measures have to be observed due to Covid-19 and, with the rector’s order, all intramural studies are cancelled until 14 April. Studies are held on different platforms Remote studies are held on three Internet platforms, where online lectures can be provided, and in the RTU E-study environment (Moodle), where the teaching staff can place study courses, presentations, home and test works, as well as other information needed for the studies. Online lectures are provided by RTU on Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Cisco Webex platforms, where video lectures, webinars and online chat can be organised, as well as lectures can be recorded and students can watch them later at any time. Library functions in a restricted mode During the period until 14 April, the RTU Scientific Library invites readers to use its e-resources in the RTU internal network ORTUS or in the library section on the RTU webpage.TUKE is part of the Ulysseus alliance
Six European universities and a large number of associated partners gathered today in Brussels to sign the Ulysseus Mission Statement. Ulysseus alliance aims to generate a long-term alliance, joint structure and strategy for education and research, linked to the priorities of the members’ regions and cities. Its goal is to contribute to competitiveness, innovation and employability, and to promote active citizenship, social inclusion, cohesion, and personal development of students and staff. The alliance integrates the University of Seville (Spain, coordinator), the University of Genoa (Italy), the Université Cote d’Azur (France), the Management Center Innsbruck (Austria), the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), and the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland). But Ulysseus is more than six members, as it gathers the strong support of local councils, regional governments, as well as social and economic actors from all the six institutions involved. "The Technical University of Košice is part of a strong consortium of six major European universities and research centres. We are very pleased with the great cohesion and involvement of members of the Ulysseus alliance. We have just signed a joint mission of our European university and we are working intensively on a project proposal. This activity enables us to see the possibility of making studies more attractive and international, connecting research and improving public services. We are delighted that our effort has the support of the city, self-governing region, regional trade and student organizations as well as clusters". /prof. Stanislav Kme?, the Rector of TUKE/A brand-new discipline at LSMU - Clinical Health Psychology
A brand-new modern Master programme has been launched at LSMU. Clinical health psychology programme will be conducted in English language from 2020 fall. Two-year Clinical Health Psychology master programme is a specialized programme which combines clinical and health psychology teaching with research methods training and practice. Clinical health psychology focuses on health promotion and wellbeing, managing illness and disability through psychological methods. Students learn psychological counselling and evaluation in various health disorders. In the programme settings, they can learn the interprofessional teamwork with other health care specialists. Students have exclusive opportunities to choose the specialization and get deeper knowledge in psycho-oncology, neuropsychology, rehabilitation psychology, family and child psychology. The programme includes 400 hours of internship. Students can practice in Lithuania, abroad or their native country. Moreover, the semester might be spent abroad with the Erasmus+ exchange programme.KTU sociologist Audrone Telesiene: stay connected and choose reliable information sources
After the World Health Organization (WTO) declared the COVID-19 virus outbreak a pandemic, quarantine took effect in Lithuania. Most of us understand that this means a high risk of getting ill with coronavirus. Among those who are infected, most will recover. However, the high number of deaths among vulnerable groups is likely to occur. In the current situation, people must listen to the instructions of medical staff and of those responsible for managing the situation. Also, the recommendations from psychologists and educators on how to spend quarantine and self-isolation safely. Sociologists add: be sure to foster social contact remotely; have trust in the authorities’ ability to manage the situation, believe the information which is coming from credible sources. Remote social interaction is essential There are many suggestions out there for coping with the quarantine. In addition, the sociologists suggest: boost your indirect social relationships to enhance your emotional well-being and that of your loved ones. You can strengthen these relationships by maintaining communication remotely, using all available technological inventions. During your days at home, it is important to think about everybody in your social network. This includes not only your virtual network but also in fellowship, kinship and neighbourhood circle during the days at home. Those who have access to the news and information on the internet, press TV or other media may already have all the relevant information on what measures to take while in isolation. During this crisis, in Lithuania, the communication is well organised. However, not everyone has access to the information. Sometimes people do not understand the information or do not take it seriously. Think about the elderly neighbours who live alone, relatives in rural areas, sceptical friends who do not read the news and about others. Call, write, put up an advertisement in the stairwell of your house or make an indirect contact in other ways. Explain why self-isolation and avoiding contact is important, where to seek help. Make sure that these people are not ill. This way, you can help the most vulnerable populations to better prepare and withstand pandemic reaction. The Italian example shows that when people do not take the situation seriously, it is impossible to prevent the transmission of infection. It is important to understand yourself and to explain to others why it is worth following recommendations and trusting what the authorities are saying.4th International Week of the OP RDE Project took place at VSB - Technical University of Ostrava from 9th till 11th March 2020
The event was attended by representatives from eight countries as well as representatives of the University management and faculty coordinators of individual faculties of VSB-TUO. At the opening the participants were welcomed by the Rector of VSB-TUO, Prof. Vaclav Snasel. The launch of this year was also attended by the Deputy Minister for the Legislation and Strategy Section of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports Dr. Dana Prudikova and Ladislav Banovec, Director of the International Relations Department of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports who mentioned priorities of the Ministry in the field of international cooperation. The Head of the University International Office, Dr. Michaela Vrazelova briefly introduced the history and present of VSB - Technical University of Ostrava. Information on the Moravian-Silesian Region was provided by the Head of the International Relations Department of the Moravian-Silesian Region, Tomas Fiedler. Then the individual representatives of the universities presented information or videos of their home universities. The next morning, the participants met for a round table discussion on the topic of "Study and Mobility". The round table discussion was chaired by the Rector Prof. Vaclav Snasel. The discussion was also led by the Vice-Rector for Studies, Dr. Zdenka Chmelikova, Vice-Dean for Studies at the Faculty of Economics, Assoc. Prof. Lenka Kauerova, and also Vice-Dean for Pedagogical Activities at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, Prof. Kamila Janovska. All foreign participants contributed to the discussion and talked about reality connected with their studies and their students' trips abroad. Together they sought ways to convince students that a semester spent at a foreign university is an investment in their future. Several interesting suggestions resulted from this highly beneficial discussion. The University International Office will try to incorporate them into the students’ motivation programs.Changing the lives of people living with dementia with new memory supporting app
InspireD, which has been developed by Scaffold Digital in partnership with Ulster University, the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care NI (HSCNI ), is designed to help people living with dementia and their carers to store photographs, music and film clips which can then be used to prompt conversations about past experiences and important life events. It is a revolutionary step in the digitisation of the healthcare sector and will make Scaffold Digital a pioneer in the field with a first-of-a-kind app to be endorsed by prominent healthcare authorities and physicians . InspireD will work by enabling people living with dementia, their carers and families, to create a digital memory book with photos, video and sound. It boasts a guided uploading and navigation process to allow users to add and organise content as well as recording voice notes and more. Pending final tests from industry evaluation authority Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA), the app will be available this summer.RSU to Run Online Q&A Session for Students on Remote Learning Process
On Wednesday 18 March R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) will run a Q&A session, during which RSU Vice-Rectors and Deans will answer students’ questions on the study process during the national state of emergency. The links to the live online Q&A sessions will also be available on the e-studies platform and e-mailed to students. 11:00-12:00 – Prof. Guntis Bahs, Vice-Rector for Health Studies, and Smuidra Žermanos, Dean of the International Student Department, will answer international students' questions (session will be held in English). 13:00-14:00 – Prof. Guntis Bahs and Prof. Jana Pav?re, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Assist. Prof. Ingus Skadi?š, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, will answer healthcare students' questions. 15:00-16:00 – Prof. Tatjana Ko?e, Vice-Rector for Studies, will answer social sciences students' questions.Pancreatic Cancer Research: What’s New after Another Year in the Lab?
Detection of pancreatic cancer at an early stage. It was precisely a year ago that Professor Michal Hol?apek of the Faculty of Chemical Technology presented a method that may save the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients. Journalists kept asking for interviews, doctors asked for the test results, and Professor Hol?apek kept receiving one phone call after another. Volunteers wanted to join the research project and offered their samples for analysis. It will take some time, however, to implement the method in practice. The research has not finished. What progress has been made since? At the moment, Professor Michal Hol?apek of the Department of Analytical Chemistry and his team try to register a number of patents, and choose the best strategy to implement the national phase in selected countries which plan to focus on pancreatic cancer; the one with worst prognosis. In ten months, the team of Professor Hol?apek acted upon all the comments, except for the mice tests. The reason is that it is an extremely expensive experiment carried out only by a few laboratories in the world. “At the moment, we have finished all the tests related to the paper, and we plan to amend the manuscript and resubmit the paper to the same journal,” says Professor Hol?apek admitting that he wished he had made more progress. Unfortunately, there are both internal and external factors hindering the research, such as the high price of patent protection, search for a business partner to implement the project, non-existence of an ethical board at the university and slow development with commissioned research for other university hospitals. “The hospitals that have provided the samples ask for results. We are doing our best to publish the key findings about pancreatic cancer and make initial attempts to translate our method to another laboratory.” At the moment, there are no screening procedures for early detection of a number of cancer types. “The methods that are available use glycoproteins, and they are not that reliable. Their reliability rate ranges from 70 to 80%. They fail, however, for early stages,” adds Professor Hol?apek. What is key about the method developed at the University of Pardubice is that it works the same for any stage of the cancer. It is hard to treat patients with late stages of pancreatic cancer. Depending on the stage, the patient may live for a year or two, and is extremely unlikely to cure. If all tests are completed successfully and the method is translated into clinical practice, it will be success for the team of Professor Hol?apek on a global scale, but more importantly it could save human lives thank to early diagnosis.The first Charity Dinner organized by EUHT StPOL manages to raise more than € 4500 for El Banc dels Aliments Foundation
The facilities of the Hotel Gran Sol hosted the first edition of the Charity Dinner of the University College of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts of Sant Pol de Mar (EUHT StPOL)on the 27th of February. The Charity Dinner was promoted by the students of the concentration in Gastronomy, Restaurants and Events Management of the Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. In fact, it was the third year student of this concentration who were responsible for organizing the different phases of the project: dissemination, menu design, contact with suppliers, search for sponsors, etc. 132 people participated in the Charity Dinner prepared by the students and the team of teachers of the Hotel-School of Sant Pol de Mar from the products donated by the sponsoring and collaborating companies of the event. In total, the initiative allowed to collect € 4,545 as a result of the sum of the tickets sold for the Charity Dinner, the donations and the tickets for the raffle of gifts given by the companies and collaborating entities. At the end of the Charity Dinner, the CEO of EUHT StPOL, Lluís Serra, together with the students who promoted the event, delivered the funds collected to the delegate of the Maresme area of El Banc dels Aliments, Cesareo Villagrà. The € 4,545 raised will go to the Banc dels Aliments child nutrition project: they will be used to buy A2 continuity infant milk, baby food and porridge.SKEMA United scholarships awarded after 250 000 km covered
In October 2019, the first edition of SKEMA United, SKEMA's sports challenge for a good cause, took place, bringing together students, employees and graduates to finance scholarship programmes. The original objective was for participants to walk, run or bike the equivalent of a round-the-world tour of SKEMA campuses (i.e. 45,500 km) but was exceeded by so much that this objective was multiplied by five, to reach 250,000 km! Thanks to the kilometres covered during SKEMA United and to the participating companies (Le Groupe Crystal - Expert & Finance, Roquette SA, Société Générale and AVA) who contributed one euro for each kilometre covered, 40% more scholarships have been awarded, bringing the number of scholarship holders to 250 for this academic year. We hope to do even better next time and are already counting on your participation in the second edition. Sheza is a first-year Master in Management student who received a scholarship thanks to SKEMA United. She explains: “I am very grateful to all the participants of this wonderful project which was a real success with more than 250,000 km covered. This allowed us to increase the number of scholarships distributed as well as the amount of each scholarship. I have received a substantial amount of money to help me finance my first year at SKEMA.”‘The future of our oceans’ – public lecture at Bangor University by prominent scientist
The future of our oceans will be the focus of a public lecture at Bangor University on Wednesday, 4 March. The speaker is Jacqueline McGlade, Professor of Resilience and Sustainable Development at University College London, and an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University. The lecture will take place at 5.30pm in the Eric Sunderland Lecture Theatre of the Main Arts Building. Admission is free, and no tickets are required. All are welcome. Professor McGlade said: “Recent evidence about the extent of plastics and litter in our oceans has led to grassroots rejection of single-use plastics. Banning them is not enough to safeguard the health of our oceans; what is needed is a complete redesign of global production systems. In this lecture I will outline ways that we can work to ‘conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development’ (one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals) in the face of unsustainable consumption and production and the rapidly changing climate.” Jacqueline McGlade is Professor of the Environment at Gresham College. She holds a Chair in the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity and is also Director of the Sekenani Research Centre of the Maasai Mara University in Kenya. She served as Executive Director of the European Environment Agency from 2003-2013, and from 2014-2017 was Chief Scientist and Director of the Science Division of the United Nations Environment Programme based in Nairobi. She studied at the Universities of Bangor, Guelph (Canada) and Cambridge.LSMU Offers Studies for Prospective Students in Ukraine
To expand the geography of international collaboration, representatives of LSMU Jevgenij Razgulin (psychologist for international students) and Anton Rubis (student of Odontology, LSMU student ambassador), had visited Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 7-10. The Lithuanian University of Health Sciences was presented in the STUDY.UA Fair in Kyiv on February 8-9. More than 5000 participants visited this fair. Prospective students and their parents visited the LSMU desk and were consulted about the study programs, accommodation and students' support system provided by LSMU. The most popular study programs in which prospective students were interested were Medicine, Health Psychology, Veterinary Medicine, Physiotherapy, Odontology, and Public Health. Also, a lot of students, who are finishing their studies in Ukraine were looking for Fellowship programs in LSMU. Representatives of LSMU had also visited the office of the biggest students' recruitment agency in Ukraine -"STUDIES.UA" which is now representing the LSMU in Ukraine. During the meeting, Jevgenij Razgulin presented University and discussed the ideas for future collaboration. Many Ukrainians are looking for quality and education which is recognized in Europe and worldwide, that is why there is a great interest in studying at LSMU.Ulster and Queen’s awarded £2.1million for state-of-the-art high performance computing facility
Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast have been awarded a major grant of £2.1million for a state-of-the-art computing facility, which will allow researchers to use high performance computing (HPC) technology to address some of society’s biggest challenges. Named “Kelvin-2”, the project has received the funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) via the Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC). The facility, which will be based at Queen’s University’s McClay library, will be used to accelerate research in six specialist areas which both institutions are experts in and are economically and socially important to the UK. These are neurotechnology and computational neuroscience, advanced chemistry, innovative drug delivery, precision medicine, metabolomics and hydrogen safety. In neurotechnology and computational neuroscience, researchers will work on brain modelling and on AI for brain-computer interface based rehabilitation technologies. Research in heterogeneous catalysis will involve modelling chemical processes, which contribute to the production of items used in everyday life. There will also be a focus on innovative drug delivery for improving drug based therapies and for use in diagnostics, as well as on precision medicine where automated tools will be created to analyse data and identify indicators for health conditions. The new facility will also help to advance research in food fingerprinting, including techniques for detecting chemical contaminants in food; and hydrogen deflagration to assist with developing accident prevention and mitigation for hydrogen tanks.New call for UP Endowment Fund grants: Students, take advantage of your opportunities!
With the new year and new semester also come new opportunities. One offered to students is from the Palacký University Endowment Fund, which today announced its sixth call, to which students can apply until 30 March in order to get support for their scientific, academic, and artistic projects. The Palacký University Endowment Fund (UP EF) supports outstanding international scientific, research, and artistic activities of students. Since it was founded in 2015, 42 student projects have been supported, in the total amount of €150,000. “This year we will distribute €25,000 to successful applicants. This is money from private donors. Their contributions are intended for all students of Master’s and doctoral programmes, from all faculties of UP. Students can receive up to €8,000 for their projects. We support scientific, academic, and creative projects. We maintain the same principles upon which the UP EF – a unique project in the Czech Republic – was founded years ago: maximum trust and minimal bureaucracy. In addition to the money, students also receive support via training in key areas such as leadership, project management, popularisation of science, and medialisation,” said Dita Palaš?áková of the UP EF.Students can make use of the monies in various ways: e.g. on airfare, accommodation, or purchasing lab materials, etc. What they all however have in common is the effort to manage their own project, become acquainted with top-notch international professional workplaces, and get to meet leaders in their field. Otomar Pešek, a student from the UP Faculty of Science who was successful in the last call, can attest to the programme’s worth. “The entire process of applying was very simple and quick for me. I am very grateful to the coordinators of the UP EF for their help and support in the application process. Thanks to UP EF support, I gained a new insight on academic work and expanded my horizons. I’m very glad for the opportunity to cooperate with other scientific workplaces, for the possibility to gain new contacts, and for the chance to delve into the world of real science,” the student evaluated, and added a comment for his fellow students across the university: “If you have a vision, you are excited about your project and you believe in it, then do not hesitate to apply in order to turn your dream into reality.” František Zálešák has a similar evaluation of his experiences. This student from the Faculty of Science was also successful in the last call. “The UP Endowment Fund meant the opportunity for me to get to the lab of Prof Cristina Nevado, in snowy Switzerland. I have no idea where else I could have obtained the funds for spending three months in such a pricey country. Filling out the application was like taking a stroll through a rose garden. Compared to applications for other grants, where for example I had to get a signed statement from my doctor that I was physically and mentally fit, UP EF has a minimum of bureaucracy,” the doctoral student said. He also considers making contacts with other scientists as crucial. “I was able to spend more than three months among people who share the same passion for chemistry I have, which was enriching for me personally as well as professionally. In a seventeen-member workgroup there were thirteen different nationalities, so I also made contacts from all over the world, which I intend to make use of in the immediate future.” The sixth call for projects is open as of today. On-line applications including all required attachments must be sent by 30 March 2020. Detailed information including the registration system can be found on the pages of the UP EF. The pages also have a list of all the projects supported in the past, as well as information and experiences from supported students.Vitamin C may shorten ventilation in critically ill patients
Vitamin C administration shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation in critical care patients, but the effect depended on the severity of illness. In five controlled trials including 471 patients requiring ventilation for over 10 hours, vitamin C shortened ventilation time on average by 25% according to a meta-analysis published in Journal of Intensive Care. Vitamin C has numerous biochemical effects. It can influence the cardiovascular system through its involvement in the synthesis of norepinephrine and vasopressin, and energy metabolism through its participation in the synthesis of carnitine. In randomized trials, vitamin C has lowered blood pressure, decreased the incidence of atrial fibrillation and decreased bronchoconstriction. A previous meta-analysis of 12 controlled trials found that vitamin C reduced ICU stay on average by 8%. Critical care patients often have very low vitamin C plasma levels. In healthy people, 0.1 grams per day of vitamin C is usually sufficient to maintain a normal plasma level. However, much higher doses, in the order of grams per day, are needed for critically ill patients to increase their plasma vitamin C levels to within the normal range. Therefore, high vitamin C doses may be needed to compensate for the increased metabolism in critically ill patients. Harri Hemilä from the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Elizabeth Chalker from the University of Sydney, Australia, carried out a systematic review of vitamin C for mechanically ventilated critical care patients. They identified 9 relevant controlled trials, and 8 of them were included in the meta-analysis. On average, vitamin C administration shortened ventilation time by 14%, but the effect of vitamin C depended on the duration of ventilation. Patients who are more seriously ill require longer ventilation than those who are not as sick. Therefore, Hemilä and Chalker hypothesized that the effect of vitamin C might be greater in trials with sicker patients who need longer ventilation. Vitamin C had no effect when ventilation lasted for 10 hours or less. However, in 5 trials including 471 patients who required ventilation for over 10 hours, dosage of 1 to 6 g/day of vitamin C shortened ventilation time on average by 25%. "Vitamin C is a safe, low-cost essential nutrient. Given the strong evidence of benefit for more severely ill critical care patients along with the evidence of very low vitamin C levels in such patients, ICU patients may benefit from the administration of vitamin C. Further studies are needed to determine optimal protocols for its administration. Future trials should directly compare different dosage levels," says Dr. Hemilä.Face the future – Bangor University awarded substantial grant to explore Emotional AI in smart cities
As Emotional Artificial Intelligence (AI) starts to be rolled out in smart cities, a team from Bangor University has won a substantial grant to study ways in which citizens can live harmoniously with technologies that sense, learn and interact with their emotions, moods, attention and intentions.‘Emotional AI in Cities: Cross Cultural Lessons from UK and Japan on Designing for An Ethical Life’ is a 3-year project jointly-funded by British and Japanese research councils and will be led by Andrew McStay, Professor of Digital Life at Bangor University.Japan and the UK are at a critical juncture where technological, social and governance structures can be appropriately prepared before mass adoption of Emotional AI. In the case of smart cities, a mistrust of the latest civic infrastructure and its management has been witnessed recently in social and legal debates surrounding the use of facial detection and recognition technologies.While Japan and UK are advanced nations in AI development and adoption, they differ in social, political, normative and techno-ethics histories. Other issues that will provide a rich scope for the team’s research include the logics of sensing technologies and the extent to which emotion display is universal across cultures; the nature of ethnocentric differences in social media usage and expression of online emotion; and potential differences between Japanese and European conceptions on what constitutes privacy and sensitive data.As well as interviewing key stakeholders developing or deploying emotional AI in smart cities, the international research team will examine governance approaches (laws, norms, values) for collection and use of intimate data about emotions in public spaces to understand how these guide Emotional AI technological developments. It will seek to understand diverse citizens’ attitudes to Emotional AI, and will co-design citizen-led, creative visions of what it means to live ethically and well with Emotional AI in cities. Ultimately, it aims to feed all the research insights, including citizens’ views, back to the diverse stakeholders, including governments, industry and educators shaping usage of Emotional AI in cities.Looking ahead to the study, Professor Andrew McStay said: ‘Only 5 or so years ago, Emotional AI was the preserve of start-ups trying to create services out of affective computing. Today, the largest companies are deploying emotional AI and empathic technology systems in cars, streets, classrooms, homes and more. Its presence is growing in diverse sectors, converging on smart cities. For both Japan and the UK, we urgently need to know what the societal implications of the emergence of these technologies are, how will they be deployed in our cities, what is coming next, how do citizens feel about it, are policies appropriate, and the place of data ethics in societies with quite different histories and demographics.’Montpellier Business School renews its commitment to the professional integration of people with disabilities
In 2018, the unemployment rate of people with disabilities is 19%, while it is 9% for the total labour force. This observation underlines the importance of making companies aware of responsible recruitment for a better professional integration. Based on the values of diversity and inclusion, Montpellier Business School is committed to training future responsible recruiters, and to making the necessary adjustments to the professional development of all its employees. Guaranteeing professional integration through access to higher education Nadège Ortiz-Boris says: “Today, only 1% of young people with disabilities have a “Bac +5” degree. To move the lines, we must act against the self-censorship of these young middle and high school students.“ Montpellier Business School has set up actions upstream of its courses whose objective is to develop self-esteem among these young people. “Since 2012, in partnership with the FEDEEH, the school has rolled out the PHARES program (which stands for “Beyond Disability Advancing and Succeeding in Higher Education”); 40 young people were accompanied by 45 tutors to participate in activities whose goal is to lift this self-censorship.“ Adapt education conditions and facilitate professionalization Montpellier Business School puts everything in place so that disability does not hinder the smooth running of studies. “The campus is fully adapted to any form of motor disability. In addition, disability referrals are trained in each school’s educational department to offer schooling and examinations.” Nadège adds. Finally, in addition to the traditional professionalization tools (Career Centre, Entrepreneurship Centre), students have the opportunity to participate in specialized recruitment forums (internship offers, work-study contracts, open-ended contracts and fixed-term contracts), co-organized with the FEDEEH. Personalized follow-up for Montpellier Business School employees Montpellier Business School pays particular attention to the entire integration process. From the selection of applications and as required by the diversity label held by Montpellier Business School for 10 years now, recruitment is based solely on business skills, linguistic and behavioural and can lead to a process of adapting the position to the profile of the candidate. This support resulted in the signing of the first disability agreements in July 2018 and was formalized by the appointment of a dedicated equality coordinator: Nadège Ortiz-Boris. “We carry out regular individual interviews with the employees and managers, to support employees in adapting to the job, their career and their well-being within Montpellier Business School.” To be recognized to fight against the bias Nadège recognizes that “very often, there is a certain shyness or embarrassment to be recognized as a worker with disabilities. These workers may be afraid of being stigmatized or sometimes minimizing their situation by thinking that their colleagues may be in worse situations. Nevertheless, there is a real interest in being recognized as a worker with a disability. First of all to guarantee a good development of the position and the working time but especially to improve the visibility on the handicap and to validate by the example that it is not a brake on good performance. “Groupe ESC Clermont opens its first campus in China
With this new campus, Groupe ESC Clermont aims to develop its academic and research programs in a thriving offshore region, close to a high-tech capital of the world. The campus is housed inside the Guangdong Polytechnic of Science and Technology College (GDPST) in Zhuhai, a top 40 Higher Vocational College*. Zhuhai itself is well-known as a science and tech city of southeastern China. Located in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the « Chinese Riviera », Zhuhai is ideally located next to Macao and within two hour of Hong-King, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. One hundred undergraduate Chinese students have already enrolled in our joint program ran in collaboration with GDPST. Thanks to this joint program, French students enrolled in our Bachelor and Master programs will be able to study for one semester in Zhuhai next year. Our DBA program, opening in 2020, will also start a collaborative working relationship with local university professors from the district. These programs are consistent with the Higher Education policy in China, focussed on international and professionalized curricula. They also clearly demonstrate how Groupe ESC Clermont has actively pursued its internationalisation and successfully set up international partnerships since 1949. Today, almost a third of students at Groupe ESC Clermont come from all around the world, currently representing 53 different nationalities.International collaboration elevates Peace and Conflict Studies
The appointment to the Rotary Peace Center has raised Uppsala University’s already attractive master’s programme in Peace and Conflict Studies to the very highest level. In January master’s student Afaf Doleeb received the Martin Henriksson Holmdahl Prize for her involvement in Sudan’s democratic development. Afaf Doleeb, a master’s student in Peace and Conflict Studies, has been awarded the Martin Henriksson Holmdahl Prize, Uppsala University’s top honour for efforts to promote human rights and freedoms. The explanatory statement emphasises Afaf Doleeb’s great commitment to the peaceful protest movement, which was crucial for Sudan’s democratic development towards rule based on human rights. Doleeb is currently one of 18 Rotary Peace Scholars based in Uppsala, and during her time with the programme, she has played a key role in the formation of a Facebook group that monitors the Sudanese government’s compliance with the agreements it has entered into. In 2011 Rotary International named Uppsala University the world’s sixth international Peace Center. The appointment, which was obtained in competition with several of the world’s highest-ranking universities, means that each year about 10 scholarship holders from around the world begin Uppsala’s highly selective Master Programme in Peace and Conflict Studies. The number of applicants per scholarship is high, and the selection process meticulous. During their two years at Uppsala Rotary Peace Center, the scholarship holders also participate in activities in addition to the regular schedule. These include an Applied Field Experience held in the summer months after the first year of study. Each scholarship holder then participates in peace-promoting activities anywhere in the world based on a self-formulated project plan. In addition to a valuable contribution, it provides an opportunity for each participant to make contacts and to specialise in preparation for their future career. Among the scholarship holders who have already obtained their 120-credit master’s degree at Uppsala University, many have chosen to work in non-governmental peace-building organisations, several of them working close to conflict areas. Others have chosen to build on their academic qualifications, including a couple who have returned to Uppsala for doctoral studies at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research.SKEMA Ventures launches study on entrepreneur confidence
Recognised for their work on entrepreneurs and the ecosystems of entrepreneurship, SKEMA Business School’s research teams have developed a measurement index based on different criteria tested in real conditions. This index will evaluate the mindset and confidence of entrepreneurs periodically. The index will help in providing institutional, economic and academic stakeholders with data that will help to (re)develop entrepreneur-centric policies in support of entrepreneurship. The aim of this research is to create a recurring index to measure the mindset and confidence of entrepreneurs by periodically assessing: -How entrepreneurs perceive their ability to handle the uncertainty generated by the current state of their environment -How they feel about the support they currently receive from the stakeholders in their ecosystem -How successful they currently feel in terms of their entrepreneurial venture, their professional life, and achieving the goals they had initially set themselves -Their current perception of the image they project to those around them, as well as their perception of the image entrepreneurship currently has in society in general.New Global Competence in Teacher Education Project Launches with an Erasmus+ Grant
Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) together with the University of Hull and three other universities, AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS) and the European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL) in Europe have been awarded a Erasmus+ research and programme development grant of €443,540 to advance global competence in teacher education. Shared global challenges including the climate crisis, rising nationalism and economic injustices, coupled with the advances of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, demand that education systems better prepare learners to embrace flexibility, innovation and work across differences in order to find sustainable solutions together. Global competence is a key learning approach to do this. It encompasses the abilities to master new literacies (e.g. digital, information, media) from multiple perspectives, develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultures, values, beliefs and systems, become an able and adaptive communicator, and learn how to work effectively and appropriately with others. Yet, initial research shows that global competence has not yet been widely incorporated within higher education programs for future teachers in most countries. As a result, new teachers leaving university are often unaware of the need for global competence or how to include it in their curricula. The Global Competence in Teacher Education project will directly address this challenge by working with teacher educators and trainee teachers to develop future cohorts of teachers in Europe and beyond who are both globally competent themselves and have the skills to develop global competence in their students. Begun in September 2019, the project will last three years and establish an international Global Competence Network of Educators to help the project consortium analyse and develop global competence curricula, materials and trainings within national teacher education programs. This project will also foster better intercultural education practices, including through teacher and student mobility and the use of virtual reality technology to enable non-mobility based experiences and sharing. The Global Competence in Teacher Education consortium partners include: ? University Of Hull, United Kingdom (Lead organiser) ? AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS), United States ? European Federation for Intercultural Learning (EFIL), Belgium ? Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), Finland ? Hellenic Open University (HOU), Greece ? University College Leuven-Limburg (UCLL), Belgium ? Università Degli Studi Di Genova, Italy The consortium partners bring strong experience in project topics, knowledge of European and global realities, and connections with schools? and other education stakeholders – all necessary for developing relevant resources and outcomes. The project partners are initially working on a scoping study and curriculum mapping exercise to gain a better understanding of the existing policies, structures and best practices in global competence education for teachers. Teachers will be directly involved in this activity to help shape the design of improved training practices. Study results will be published in journals and presented at conferences worldwide to inform teacher educators, policy-makers and researchers.Guest lecturer from Klaipeda University has started to teach in "Natural Sciences"
In the project “Perfection of the Academic Staff of Liepaja University in the Areas of Strategic Specialization – Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Information Technologies, Art, Social Sciences, Commerce and Law” the guest professor Olga Anne from Klaipeda University (Lithuania) has started to give lectures to Master study programme students of Liepaja University (LiepU) in the strategic specialization field – “Natural Sciences” and the guest professor has been working as a researcher already for half a year in this area at LiepU. Currently the guest professor is giving lectures to 1st year students of the professional Master study programme “Ecotechnologies” in the study course “Economic Activities’ Environmental Impact Assessment” (3 ECTS). This course has been implemented for half a year, involving specialists from environmental field, including the study programme director of Master programme “Ecotechnologies” Lilita ?bele. Moreover, the guest professor has been on a study excursion to Klaipeda city with students, introducing them with different Klaipeda enterprises and their work in this field. The guest professor's teaching activities at LiepU are planned for one more year. The guest lecturer together with two more guest lecturers of Natural Sciences have already published scientific research results in collected articles of scientific conference during this project and will continue to do it.KTU expert: the number of .lt domains is growing due to expansion of mobile internet
The Internet Service Centre DOMREG at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) – the registry of .lt top-level domain – informs that the number of domains has reached 198 923 in 2019. Since 2018, the growth of 3.15% is observed. The number of registered .lt domains is expected to reach 200 000 in the near future. The Head of KTU Internet Service Centre Daiva Tamulionien? claims the increasing number of .lt domains is related to both the active local business and the extensive use of mobile internet. According to the data of the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania, the number of active SIM cards used for the provision of the internet access services has already exceeded 3 million and is approaching the number of SIM cards used for the provision of the voice services. It shows the substantial growth of the use of the mobile internet, i.e. using phones for web browsing. Lithuanians use their mobile phones constantly which prompts businesses to increase their activities online and create more digital content. The activities of the bloggers and influencers must have reached their peak last year. Therefore, the number of websites, blogs and e-shops that need domains keeps increasing. "We are glad that .lt domain remains the most popular in Lithuania: soon there will be 200 000 registered websites, which have .lt ending. On this happy occasion, we have decided to celebrate the growth of the Lithuanian internet by awarding the prize – a tablet – to one lucky holder of .lt domain”, says the Head of KTU Internet Service Centre Tamulionien?. Even though 57% of .lt domains belong to the companies and other legal entities, the number of internet names registered for personal use remains high. The private persons were the holders of almost 85 thousand .lt domains last year. According to the Head of the Centre, the majority of the private users create .lt domains for their personal websites, blogs and emails. She believes that more and more self-employed individuals are creating their representational websites or e-shops instead of relying solely on social media. “There is a delightful idea coming from abroad: to create a family’s internet name before the wedding as well as electronic wedding invitations containing a detailed program or even the map of the event’s location. Later, such a website becomes a family chronicle and all the family promotes their name by using the unique email addresses with .lt domain name”, tells Tamulionien?. Even though nearly 38 thousand new .lt domains were created last year, almost 32 thousand domains were deleted at the will of the domain holders. Most often, the domains are deleted when they are not used anymore or at the end of a specific project or event for which a website was created. Part of the domains is deleted after the termination of activities or bankruptcy of a legal entity. “If you change a trademark or create a new project, we always recommend keeping the old domain for some time with redirection to the new one. In this case, you will not lose the flow of visitors and will be protected from the fraudsters who can re-create the domain after its deletion and mislead the visitors or even commit crimes while using the domain name. The people who create new trademarks for a website or e-shop should choose .lt domain because the Lithuanians trust it and automatically type the Lithuanian ending .lt in the browser”, emphasises Tamulionien?. Currently, the procedural services of .lt domain are provided by 66 Lithuanian and 59 foreign registrars. KTU Internet Service Centre DOMREG is .lt registry; its key tasks are the management of .lt domain infrastructure and insurance of the functioning of the domain name system (DNS) online.Webinar "How to choose your Business School"
Register & attend this LIVE webinar on ‘How to choose your Business School in France‘ by Montpellier Business School and learn- How to differentiate yourself from other professionals by studying in France. Which factors to consider while choosing the right Program and Institution. How to select the Business School that will give you the student experience you are looking for. This Webinar will be animated by Judith Rakotondralay, International Development Manager at MBS. Register and attend the live Webinar here.RTU – ONE OF THE TOP 100 GREENEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD
Riga Technical University (RTU) is ranked among 100 greenest universities in the world, ranking 93–95 in the GreenMetric for green politics and sustainability. RTU has obtained equal number of points with two Spanish universities. It is a significant achievement compared to 2018, when RTU was ranked 128th. Moreover, RTU remains the only higher education institution in Latvia that has been ranked so high. In the GreenMetric Rankings, world universities are ranked according to their commitment to reducing environmental impact. To reduce human impact on the environment and climate change, RTU is committed to introducing the concept of Green ??psala at its campus by 2023. To achieve the goal, RTU is improving its infrastructure in compliance with sustainability principles, changing student and staff habits, and using innovative green products and technologies developed by RTU researchers in ??psala campus infrastructure.RTU HAS ACHIEVED THE HIGHEST RESULTS SO FAR IN THE EDUNIVERSAL RANKING
The Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management (FEEM) of Riga Technical University (RTU) and Riga Business School (RBS) have been ranked high – in the 4 palms league – in the world’s best business school ranking «Eduniversal» for the fourth consecutive year for outstanding academic excellence, outstanding quality and strong international influence in business and management education. The Master study program «Innovations and Entrepreneurship» implemented by the FEEM has been rated the best in Eastern Europe. The Eduniversal Best Masters Ranking 2019 includes ten out of 12 RTU FEEM and RBS Master study programs, attesting their quality and international competitiveness. The evaluation of all programs has improved compared to the previous year, for example, the program «Total Quality Management» has risen 19 places. It ranks 12th among the top 100 Master study programs in quality management in the world. The program «Administration of Customs and Taxes», which is the first study program accredited by the World Customs Organization, has also received a higher international rating. It ranks 30th best in the world in its field. Two more study programs implemented by RTU FEEM – «Urban and Regional Engineering Economics» (23rd in Sustainable Development and Environmental Management) and «Entrepreneurship and Management» (36th in Entrepreneurship) – have been included among the top 100 university and business school programs in the world. The program «Civil Construction and Real Estate Management» ranks 18th among the 50 best programs in the world. Among the 200 best university and business school programs in Eastern Europe, the study programs implemented by RTU FEEM take leading positions, for example, the professional study program «Innovations and Entrepreneurship» is recognized as the best in this field. The program develops creative thinking and the ability to create new values, educates and trains entrepreneurs and executives to work at companies and organizations of all sizes and areas. The programs «Business Finance» and «Organization and Management of International Economic Relations» rank 4th in their respective fields, while the academic study program «Economics» ranks 6th. In turn, the study program implemented by RBS «Master of Business Administration» has been evaluated three times – it ranks 14th in Marketing, 4th in Professional MBA and 15th in Executive MBA among the 200 best Eastern European programs. The French rating and consulting company SMBG every year assesses 1,000 best universities and business schools in the Eduniversal ranking and it evaluates the top Master study programs and MBA programs in 50 different specializations in 154 countries worldwide. Eduniversal Business Schools Ranking is a league of five palms. The top 4 palms league includes 200 business schools of outstanding standing and considerable international influence, including RTU and RBS. The ranking aims at helping students choose the most appropriate schools in East Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Eurasia and the Middle East, Latin America, Oceania, Western Europe and North America.Uppsala University in European initiative for new antibiotics
Uppsala University is taking a leading role in COMBINE, a multinational collaboration where 11 partners from academia and the private sector are working together to chart new approaches for the more effective development of antibiotics. With a central position in the new European collaboration COMBINE, Uppsala University is expanding its already strong commitment in speeding the development of new antibiotics. Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) – a partnership between the EU and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) – is behind this 25-million-euro initiative. Anders Karlén, professor of computational medicinal chemistry, is the project's coordinator. Uppsala University also has a leading role in designing a standardised, preclinical reference model for developing antibiotics. This task includes formulating recommendations for interpreting results and guidance in how these results can predict the outcome of clinical studies. With COMBINE’s combined process support and project support, IMI is improving the potential for achieving the ambitious goals of the ongoing billion kronor initiative Antimicrobial Resistance Accelerator Programme to develop new preclinical pharmaceutical candidates, of which five are to be ready for phase 2 studies within six year. This is an initiative that is even more important considering the approaching end of ENABLE, another IMI-financed European programme where Uppsala University is leading development of potential antibiotics against gram-negative bacteria.KU ACCOMPANIES THE YEAR OF 2019 HAVING ACHIEVED THE SET GOALS
Klaipeda University (KU) accompanies the finishing year of 2019 with vivacity. The higher education institution can enjoy the bigger number of students after almost a decade – the possibility to study in the port city has been chosen by more students than the number of graduates this year. KU has also been recognised and listed among the best European universities and together with five universities-partners belongs to a progressive and ambitious consortium “EU-CONEXUS“ (“European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability“). “The year of 2019 was full of challenges for Klaipeda University, but working together we managed to cope with them. One of the most significant and important events for us as a higher education institution is that we were able to get among the best European universities and together five other European universities-partners we are going to create a common European university“, – KU Rector Prof. Dr. Arturas Razbadauskas pointed out the most important events of the finishing year. KU, which has also introduced a new visual identity, can also enjoy having kept stable positions both in the new rankings announced by higher education institutions ratings organisers “QS World University Rankings“ (QS Emerging Europe and Central Asia 2020, QS EECA) and in subject-based rating of Lithuanian universities, which is compiled and published by the magazine „Reitingai“ (Ratings). „The achievements of our scientists and scientific employees speak for themselves. We have increased the internationality of the university not only with speeches, but also with works. The team of KU Maritime Research Institute scientists together with partners from other universities participated in the expedition to the Arctic, where very important research works have been carried out. The team of our scientists received a permission to patent the blood pressure measurement device invented by them in the European patent organisation. Of course, we can be proud of our achievements in Lithuania, as well. For example, the Institute of Baltic Region History and Archaeology scientific employee‘s Dr. Indre Zigeu dissertation has been recognised as the best in the fields of Humanities ans Social sciences in Lithuania“, – A. Razbadauskas was glad about the achievements of KU community. However, the university meets the approaching year of 2020 with setting ambitious goals and objectives. The higher education institution, having put great efforts to increase the quality and attractiveness of studies, is going not to stop and will invite the youth to study in the port city by offering unique and exceptional studies. “We are going to pay great attention to international students. Next year we are going to offer studies in three different foreign languages. Among the programs to be delivered are fourteen Bachelor‘s and seven Master‘s study programmes and it is about one fourth of the study fields we offer. At the moment about one tenth of our students are foreigners, but we notice, that Klaipeda Univesity is becoming more and more attractive, so we hope to have these numbers even higher next year“, – maintained the Rector of KU. The question of academic personnel salaries raises the anxiety for the university community, as well as almost all other higher education institutions. The salaries of scientists and lecturers are too low, therefore the objectives raised to compete with the biggest foreign universities are hardly achievable, and the present situation is harmful to the quality of the studies, the consequences of which are felt by students, too. “We believe that the Government of Lithuania will hear the voice of Lithuanian higher education institutions and their request to increase the salaries of academic personnel. We all know well the present situation and we all expect to be heard and appreciated appropriately so that we could be competitive in the market of higher education and in the “fight“ for students with foreign higher education institutions“, – A. Razbadauskas looked at the year of 2020 with hope.Facial recognition: a step towards brighter future or a march into total surveillance society?
On December, 3rd at Lazarski University there was an open, Oxford style debate on the topic of facial recognition technology. Two teams were invited to debate the issue. Each side presented arguments for and against the motion. They tried to evaluate whether the technology (neither good or bad by itself) will be a force for good and stimulate progress, making our work more productive, and our life easier and pleasant or it will turn out to be a slippery slope leading into total surveillance society, where everybody will be subject to face check and no one will be allowed any privacy. At the beginning of the debate it was evaluated by means of quick voting what attitude the audience had towards the technology, and after the arguments were presented from both sides (opponents and proponents) the voting procedure was repeated to see if the position of the audience has changed. Indeed, at the beginning of the debate there was a clear split 25 “for” and 25 “against”. However, after the arguments were presented the score changed to 19 “for” and 30 “against”. Therefore, it was concluded that the motion against the use of such technology prevailed and the winners of the debate were announced.Triple Ulster University Journalism ‘Awards for Excellence’ nominations
Ulster University staff and students have been shortlisted for three prestigious UK-wide industry awards for journalism excellence, in the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) Awards for Excellence 2019. The first NCTJ award nomination is for teaching innovation. The university’s award entry outlined the specialist training developed by the university in resilience building for reporters going into hostile environments like war zones, disaster areas and dealing with terrorism. This specialist training, ‘Resilience building for Hostile Environments’ was headed by the university’s Dr Colm Murphy, from the School of Communication and Media, and delivered under guidance from Pat Deeny, Senior Lecturer, a disaster healthcare specialist at the university, the International Red Cross and several international anti-terrorist experts. Other staff involved included Milne Rowntree and Maggie Swarbrick. Organisations including St John’s Ambulance, Community Rescue, PSNI and Coastal Care also assisted in the training exercises. The training, which took place on the Coleraine campus, involved teaching journalists skills in shelter and community building, first aid, nutrition, hydration, security, safety, cultural awareness, situational awareness, checkpoints and post-traumatic stress. The second award nomination, for the Features category, is Masters’ student Nick Winchester. Nick, who comes from England, is nominated for his feature which examined the experiences of a Syrian family and their difficulties in returning home from a refugee camp in the Lebanon. Nick travelled to the Lebanon last Easter to undertake a series of reports about refugees, cannabis growing and the aspirations of young people in the country once dominated by war, and he has reflected on these experiences in his writing of these issues. The third award nomination, for the category of ‘Top Scoop,’ is for MA Journalism student Brendan Marshall from for his reporting on the St Patrick’s night tragedy at the Greenvale Hotel in Cookstown, Co Tyrone. One of the first reporters on the scene of the tragedy Brendan reported for BBC Five Live and RTÉ, among other international broadcasters, and he has been recognised for his responsible reporting of this incident, in which three teenagers tragically died. Winners of the awards will be announced at a gala dinner at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, at the end of this month. The awards will be presented by Kevin Maguire, associate editor of The Mirror newspaper.The "faulty" neurons behind brain tumors
Headaches, nausea, drowsiness, loss of muscle control, difficulty in swallowing: these are the symptoms that characterize most cases of medulloblastoma, the most common brain tumor of childhood which can also affect adults. About seven in one million children are diagnosed with medulloblastoma in Italy based on data from Associazione italiana registri tumori (Italian tumor registry). It seems that the symptoms appear when the cerebrospinal fluid stops circulating inside the central nervous system because of the tumor. But the cause of medulloblastoma and its risk factors are still unknown. Researchers at the University of Trento investigated the onset mechanisms of this type of tumor, and their findings were recently published in Cell Reports. Their research study focused on a subset of medulloblastoma with specific molecular characteristics (sonic hedgehog-associated medulloblastoma-SHH), and was funded by the Armenise-Harvard Foundation and the AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research. The research team coordinated by Luca Tiberi (Armenise-Harvard Laboratory of Brain Cancer, Cibio Department, University of Trento) is of the opinion that this particularly aggressive tumor may be caused by faulty neurons. Tiberi explained: "We identified a new mechanism through which medulloblastoma develops. Previously, the assumption was that only stem cells, which are responsible for tissue growth and propagation especially in children, could develop into tumors. But we demonstrated that neurons too, that are fully developed cells, can develop into tumors. This discovery opens new horizons for cancer research and may even change the way in which tumors are diagnosed and cancer drugs are tested and developed". It is a breakthrough given that brain tumors are very aggressive and there are not many therapeutic options available. Surgery is not always possible, and chemotherapy and radiation therapy are not very effective in these cases. Besides that, it is rather common that the tumor reappears after some time even when treatments are successful. When this occurs, treatments are usually ineffective. The survival rate at five years from the diagnosis of medulloblastoma is around 60-70% (source: AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research).Eminent ERC Consolidator Grants awarded to three scholars at the University of Helsinki
Three researchers working at the University of Helsinki have been awarded the Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council. The funding was granted to Kristiina Mannermaa, Henning Trüper and Kirsi Mikkonen. Kristiina Mannermaa is a docent of archaeology specialised in zooarchaeology, whose work focuses on the relationships between animals and humans. The ERC-funded research project entitled ‘Animals Make Identities. The Social Bioarchaeology of Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic Cemeteries in North-East Europe’ examines how animals affected the identity of Stone Age hunter-gatherers. Among the techniques employed in the project are methods of bioarchaeology and geographic information software. Prehistoric hunter-gatherers not only felt a close kinship with animals, but also believed they had the ability to transform into animals and converse with them. Mannermaa is looking into how these customs of coexisting with animals are reflected on and stand out in the burial material of prehistoric hunter-gatherers. The project helps understand our own society and our relationship with nature, as well as our identity, which has evolved through these two factors. Mannermaa is working as a researcher at the Department of Cultures of the Faculty of Arts and is currently serving as a visiting professor at the University of Tartu. Henning Trüper’s ERC project is about the history of saving lives from shipwreck in Europe since around 1800. It aims to develop a novel understanding of the history of humanitarian morality. From the 1820s onward, a set of loosely interconnected social movements emerged in various countries to institute nationwide associations for aiding the victims of coastal shipping disaster. Within a few decades, urban-bourgeois activists persuaded coastal populations to embrace a universal and unconditional imperative to attempt the rescue of the shipwrecked almost regardless of risk to the rescuers. The ERC project asks why and how this novel imperative emerged, and how it was stabilized and sustained. The analysis will make it possible to develop a new theoretical understanding of the contingent organization of moral norms around “single issues.” This will help to explain why the overall landscape of humanitarian movements remains archipelagic, i.e. structured by insular relief efforts for selected kinds of suffering. In this way, the historical research will also help better understand many present-day concerns, sentiments, and conflicts. Henning Trüper has worked at the University of Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies for 3 years. He currently works in Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Studies and will transfer to the Department of Philosophy, History and Art Studies at the University of Helsinki. Assistant Professor Kirsi Mikkonen from the Department of Food and Nutrition at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry has studied spruce gum and birch gum, i.e. hemicelluloses from trees. They can be used to stabilise emulsions, or compounds of two mutually insoluble liquids. Mikkonen has also previously developed a more effective method of producing nanoparticles from lignin. With the ERC grant, Mikkonen will develop a pioneering technique, with which double-sided Janus particles will be produced from lignin and hemicellulose. These structures, derived from natural raw materials, can in the future be used as ingredients in food, pharmaceutical agents, chemicals and building materials. The particles bind firmly to surfaces, stabilising them or forming organised structures.Scientists study the impacts of the European Digital Single Market on the Czech audio-visual industry
There is no single digital market in the European Union, and Czech customers are discriminated in their access to some online services. The European Commission has failed to ensure that the new legal reform guarantees the free movement of services, including online streaming. Thus, Czech consumers cannot purchase and use the service offered to customers in another member country. The impact of the Digital Single Market Strategy on the Czech audio-visual industry is being studied by scientists from Palacký University Olomouc and Masaryk University in Brno (MUNI). In the several-year project supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, researchers deal with the impact of European legislation on Czech consumers, authors, directors, producers, and distributors. “We are also interested in which problems have not been solved by the European Commission’s legal reform despite its original intention, and what the likely consequences will be in the future," said Pavel Zahrádka from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies at the UP Faculty of Arts. A multidisciplinary team of sociologists, film industry analysts, and legal experts from UP and MUNI is, among other things, involved in mapping the disputes between copyright holders with online content sharing platforms such as Uloz.to. The team also deals with what attitudes Czech consumers have regarding the use of illegally distributed Internet content as well as the conditions under which domestic customers would be willing to pay, for example, for selected films or TV series.Palacký University awarded for social responsibility
Palacký University Olomouc has been awarded the National Prize of the Czech Republic for Social Responsibility. The award was granted in the category of large and medium-sized public sector organisations. The prize was accepted by Rector Jaroslav Miller and Vice-Rector Hana Marešová at a gala evening at Prague Castle, where the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic and the Quality Council of the Czech Republic announced the winners of the 2019 Czech National Quality Prizes. Palacký University enrolled in the programme to find out how it stands in the competition with other schools in fulfilling the third role of the university – working for the benefit of society, both in the city and in the region. Recently, UP was particularly and most importantly involved in local and regional action plans for education; volunteer activities such as Civic University, in which students and academics offer their knowledge via lectures to the public; the Euforka project, which seeks to mediate relevant information about Europe; and the student association Sustainable Palacký, which promotes environmentally friendly behavior. “We perceive the university as a community that systematically helps its members even in the public space. This is possible through the involvement of experts, the work of many volunteers and student organizations, and thanks to the extraordinary supportive environment that is still being expanded and modernized,” said Vice-Rector for External Relations Petr Bilík.Exciting alternative route into Physiotherapy at Bangor University
With physiotherapists often in short supply, physiotherapy service managers and potential students in Wales have welcomed the development of a new route to qualify as a physiotherapist. A new two-year accelerated post-graduate course at Bangor University, aimed at graduates, is providing an exciting alternative mode of entry to the profession compared to the established undergraduate approach. The Physiotherapy programme has been commissioned by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW). It complements a three year undergraduate degree course at Glynd?r University, ensuring undergraduate and postgraduate routes to a physiotherapy qualification across North Wales The postgraduate accelerated programme has been designed as an efficient and innovative means to broaden access into the profession, whilst continuing to provide high quality physiotherapy workforce for the local Health Board and beyond.Dr Lynne Williams, Head of the School of Health Sciences said; “We are very pleased to be offering this programme. Bangor University is fully committed to offering a physiotherapy programme as part of the portfolio of the School of Health Science and welcomes this new development as providing one of the key disciplines for promoting inter-professional learning for students."Ulster University researchers explore the potential of electric vehicles
Transport is widely regarded as the next major challenge in the UK’s decarbonisation journey. Recent developments in electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide mean that this technology is optimally placed to help lower emissions from road transport. Thanks to the recent acquisition of an electric vehicle (EV), researchers at Ulster University are exploring the potential of this new technology. The UK Government has set ambitions to ensure that almost every car and van in the UK is a zero-emission vehicle by 2050, and to make the UK a world leader in EV and battery technologies. Due to their high energy capacity, mass deployment of EVs will have significant impact on power networks. This impact will dictate the design of the electric vehicle interface and charging devices and the way future power networks will be designed and controlled. Ulster University’s SPIRE 2 project has acquired an EV to support essential research that will aim to tackle the identified challenges and better inform policymakers and stakeholders and give direction to further research on the impact of electric vehicles on existing power distribution networks. Ulster University’s SPIRE 2 project is addressing how consumer-owned energy storage can resolve the problem of the variability of renewable energy (RE) output. Researchers are exploring how homes and businesses can store renewable energy effectively, allowing very high levels of RE to be integrated into power grids globally, at the same time as maximising the benefits to consumers. The SPIRE 2 project has received funding of €6.7 million from the EU’s INTERREG VA programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for the project has been provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.The University of Hradec Králové succeeded in international university rankings. It is the best university among Czech higher education institutions!
The Times Higher Education published the results of an international ranking of higher education institutions called European Teaching Ranking 2019. In a competition of hundreds of top European universities, the UHK gained 101.-125. spot. Among Czech universities, University of Hradec Králové is the best! Rector, Kamil Ku?a says the ranking is special because the institutions was evaluated anonymously by its students. and their students gave them a real praise, for which he is immensely grateful. The evaluation is based on fourteen indicators, they combine students' satisfaction with the quality of education, with the environment of the institution and with the attitudes of academics towards students. Other very interesting factors are employability on the labour market, the share of international students and gender balance of the employees and students.Bangor University Machine Translation KTP graded as Outstanding by Innovate UK
Bangor University and Cymen Cyf have been awarded an A (Outstanding) rating for their recently completed Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). Cymen is a translation company located in Caernarfon, and is one of the largest private sector employers of graduates in Gwynedd. The KTP focused on developing domain-specific machine translation between English and Welsh, using Cymen’s large archive of translated documents as training data. This research aims at making language technologies accessible and freely available for supporting the Welsh language and Welsh economic activity. This KTP was an exciting opportunity to transfer and exploit their expertise in domain specific machine translation with Cymen’s vast archive of legacy translations. Working closely with the KTP associate, Myfyr Prys, they were able to demonstrate and present at a recent European machine translation academic conference in Dublin that Cymen’s bespoke engines gave much better results than larger general purpose translation engines such as those found on the web. This partnership received financial support from the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme . KTP aims to help businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills that reside within the UK knowledge base. This successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership project, funded by the Welsh Government and UK Research and Innovation through Innovate UK, is part of the government’s Industrial Strategy. The SMART Partnership project is part-funded by the Welsh Government. They offer financial support to innovative collaborative projects that require a range of expertise to help businesses grow, improve productivity and increase competitiveness. The aim of SMART Partnerships is to increase the capability and capacity of Welsh businesses to undertake RD&I activity through knowledge transfer.KTU researchers together with partners from Ukraine are developing knitted bulletproof vests
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania researchers together with Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Ukraine are developing new generation knitted bulletproof vests that provide a good balance between protection and comfort. According to Rimvydas Milašius, a professor at the KTU Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Design, comfortable, user-friendly textile products that are resistant to mechanical damage and fire are of great importance to defence technology. Textile products should be comfortable to wear and do not restrict freedom of movement. They should also have excellent ventilation, i.e. to be air and sweat permeable in order to release excess heat to the outside while keeping the inner layer dry. Research shows that increased comfort reduces fatigue of the wearer and helps to maintain focus and concentration for longer. Multi-layered textile application with layers of knit construction made from high-strength yarns allows increased energy absorption when a high-speed bullet, shrapnel or other missile hits it. The knitted fabrics provide this feature due to their loop structure, which is the main difference of their technology from the woven fabrics currently used for similar purposes. The usage of knitted structures in protective applications have only become possible with the recent advances in knitting technology. Due to the war in Ukraine, the country is paying great attention to modernising the defence structure including the development of new products. Lithuania is interested in not only in providing scientific assistance in order to improve the safety of Ukrainian military forces, but also in future cooperation. The researchers believe that the technology developed by the team from the two countries will be produced not only by Ukrainian but also Lithuanian textile companies.Financial Times ranks SKEMA's Master in Management 12th worldwide
October 28, 2019 SKEMA's Master in Management has been ranked 12th worldwide, fourth in France, by the Financial Times in the newspaper's ranking of master in management programmes around the globe.One hundred business schools are featured in this ranking. SKEMA's programme has climbed 13 places on last year's ranking. SKEMA has been included in this ranking since its creation in 2009. Its 2019 entry to the FT’s list of the top 15 of the world's best business schools has been dramatic. In France, SKEMA’s Master in Management has been placed fourth among the 22 best French Grandes Ecoles represented. This ranking takes into account, among other factors, graduates' appreciation of their school, their careers and career development over the last three years. SKEMA stands out particularly well in the Aims Achieved category that looks at how graduates have achieved their objectives thanks to the Master in Management degree; we're ranked sixth worldwide on this criterion. In the International Experience category, SKEMA is ranked ninth in the world. The school’s progress in the ranking is a reflection of its teaching model: to share the incomparable wealth of a truly global and multicultural experience with its students, of 120 nationalities, on its seven campuses around the world. Alice Guilhon, the dean of SKEMA, said: "We can measure how far we have come since we entered the ranking in 2009 and be proud of the progress we have made. This is great recognition of the school's internationalisation strategy and the success of our graduates. Being ranked 12th in the world is a deeply satisfying reward as SKEMA celebrates its 10th anniversary this year."RTU WILL INAUGURATE THE CONFUCIUS CLASSROOM
RTU Confucius Classroom is an affiliation of the Confucius Institute and will be located at RTU Faculty of E-Learning Technologies and Humanities (FELT), Kronvalda Blvd. 1. The opening ceremony will be attended by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Latvia, Mr. Liang Jianquan, Latvian Director of the Confucius Institute of the University of Latvia P?teris Pildegovi?s and Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute Shang Quanyu, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Professor Uldis Sukovskis, Deputy Rector for International Academic Cooperation and Studies, Professor Igors Tip?ns, FELT Dean, Professor Marina Platonova, students of the Chinese language, as well as Chinese students studying at RTU. RTU Confucius Classroom began its operation before its official opening. It has a library, and at present 21 RTU students and staff members learn the Chinese language. During the opening ceremony, the participants of the Chinese language course will read poems in Chinese, demonstrating their newly acquired language skills. The Confucius institutes and classrooms are designed with the support of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and their aim is to promote the Chinese language and culture. The Confucius Classroom also grants scholarships for study and research in China. RTU has been actively and purposefully cooperating with China for several years. For example, 20 first-year students from Beijing International Studies University study at RTU. Owing to RTU support, these students learnt the Latvian language in China, and then they spent the study year in Latvia, where they continued studying the Latvian language, the Latvian history and other study courses, thus preparing for studies at RTU already in the Latvian language.RSU to offer a new business and start-up study programme in English
Through the collaboration between R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) professors, visiting professors, entrepreneurs, and industry organisations, the university has developed a new highly competitive Bachelor’s study programme in English—International Business and Start-up Entrepreneurship. The programme will welcome its first students in the autumn of 2020. With this programme, RSU will offer full time and part-time studies that will take place in a distinctly international environment, with international students, professors and travel abroad. The programme is set to be licensed in the near future. Madara Ambr?na, Vice Director at the Department of Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness of the Ministry of Economics, emphasised that the start-up ecosystem in Latvia is developing rapidly. There are currently more than 350 start-ups and over 300 million euros in attracted investment. ‘The development of the start-up ecosystem is one of the ministry’s main priorities. Universities play a key role regarding the sustainability of this field. They must serve as the central element in supporting the continuity of start-up development and creating successful synergy,’ explains Ambr?na. Analysing current entrepreneurship trends in Latvia Katr?na Zari?a, a representative of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed to the latest research that finds a lack of a highly qualified workforce. Meanwhile, visiting professor Antje Leukens from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland emphasised that the new study programme has been successfully organised and will be internationally competitive. This programme is one of six new internationally competitive study programmes that RSU is planning to develop until 2021 with co-funding from the European Social Fund and the state budget, within the framework of the project.The new funding model for universities emphasises completed degrees
At the beginning of the year, the Finnish government approved a new funding model for Finnish universities for the term 2021–2024. The model is a tool for allocating core funding to universities. The new model makes it possible to gain funds by streamlining study paths so that students graduate with a bachelor’s or master’s degree within the targeted time frame. The core funding awarded by the Ministry of Education and Culture constituted 58% of the University of Helsinki’s overall income last year. In 2021 funding will be based on the results of 2017–2019, which means that the model is operational in practice. The ministry has stated that the new funding model will establish stronger incentives for strategic planning and reform at universities.Applications for RSU International Student Conference 2020 now open!
R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) will host the annual RSU International Student Conference 'Health and Social Sciences' on 27 and 28 March 2020. This will be the 70th iteration of the largest international student conference in the Baltics! The conference will bring together domestic and international students, experienced participants and professionals from the field. The leader of this year's conference is Marija Lu?ze Kalni?a, a 5th-year student from the Faculty of Medicine. She aims for the grand anniversary to be celebrated with a conference of unprecedented scope and innovation.The conference is organised by the RSU Student Council with the aim of promoting students' interest in science, provide a venue for sharing their experiences and, of course, for networking and making new contacts. Over the two days of the conference participants will have the opportunity to attend several social science as well as healthcare sections. This year's programme will also offer larger master classes where participants will be able to try their hand at various medical manipulations. The conference program is designed to ensure that each participant will acquire new knowledge, skills and experience, as well as that every guest of the city will get acquainted with a small part of Riga and with Latvian culture. The 2020 RSU International Student Conference will bring together science enthusiasts and a diverse group of young people from all over the world. Everyone is welcome to the guest lectures and workshops!MSc Luxury Marketing: Training change agents in the luxury sector at Neoma Business School!
As part of the programme development initiative, a Master of Science Luxury Marketing will be on offer for the next school year at Neoma University. The luxury sector is unique and one that is constantly changing. The luxury sector is a particularly unique sector and managing the marketing aspects requires a special way of thinking and a specific set of skills. Throughout my professional career, I've dealt with a wide range of unique situations relating to consumer culture, consumer behaviour, the emergence of new consumer profiles... and each time, an adapted and above all rapid response is absolutely necessary. I'd say that besides image and the financial impact, only one rule prevails: and that is that customer interest comes first! The market is constantly changing and evolving! Future professionals in this sector must be aware of the need for adaptability when it comes to responding to current and even future challenges. Hence the idea for the new MSc. The new programme will enable students to learn about all the different aspects of the sector. They will acquire the knowledge and skills required to be able to move forward in a sector that is constantly evolving. The sector is evolving extremely rapidly. The market is currently experiencing a huge impact from the digital divide. Retailers need to find the right balance between digital and physical, between rarity, which is essential to the luxury sector, and accessibility. The digital transformation and e-commerce also impose challenges that each student will face in a global competitive environment. We need to address these challenges for the students in our courses. Paris is synonymous with luxury. We are fortunate enough to be located in one of the world's luxury capitals and we need to exploit the wealth of these surroundings. Then, the very fact of being in Paris, provides an impressive panel of professional partners! Such wealth is reflected in their involvement in our courses, but also in the network, they can create. Most of our teaching staff come from overseas and they will provide the students with the best possible training. Through this courses students will acquire in-depth market knowledge, analytical skills and the ability to adapt to rapid market changes. Through our courses, they will gain sound knowledge of digital communication and in-store experience. Among the different modules, we will focus on a fast-growing sector, the luxury experience (hotels, travel and the in-store experience, in particular). The behaviour of the millennials (Generation Y) in this area also influences the market and industry players must be aware of this in their decision-making. Finally, graduates will be up to date on new technologies, both online and in stores. In short, they will be able to decode new consumer patterns and be in a position to react and adjust accordingly. One final challenge: to become agents of change and prepare brands and companies for tomorrow's world.Lithuania’s biggest animal hospital to be built in Kaunas
Preparations of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences to build the biggest Lithuania’s hospital for pets and exotic animals started to take place in Kaunas. The hospital is supposed to appear in the area of 3 hectares, which was given under the usage agreement for 99 years by the National Land Service Under the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania. General area of the hospital is supposed to reach 5000 square metres. Besides therapy, surgery, oncology and midwifery departments it will also have a department of exotic animals, pharmacy, constantly working animal blood donation centre, animal rehabilitation centre with physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, acupuncture, laser-based treatment service. The hospital is going to have a department with modern surgery rooms, where video broadcasting system will be installed. Modern clinical labs and the most advanced equipment for diagnosing animal diseases are part of a project as well. In order to work safely with ionizing radiation, a video diagnosis department is supposed to appear as well. CT scans and MRI are going to be applied for small animals and horses. A department of infectious diseases with insulating sections to quarantine and treat animals with infectious diseases will meet the highest standards of biosafety, thus preventing infectious disease and zoonosis spread. The hospital is supposed to be a centre where veterinary is going to be practiced, covering practical aspects of veterinary medicine studies too.Post study work and stay back in Canada
The high quality education and better standard of living makes Canada one of the hot destinations for international students. Because of this there has been a constant rise in students who are likely to settle in Canada after their education. The number of students who stay back in Canada after studying has been steadily rising. This is primarily due to the excellence of the Canadian education system and the tremendous opportunities it provides. The fact that a degree from Canada fosters one's chances of staying back in Canada and gaining permanent residence is another prominent factor. The Post-study work permit allows students to work up to 3 years, the duration differs according to the span of the course. If the course is for one year, then the student can stay in Canada for one year after course completion. If the degree is of 2 years then they can stay up to 3 years. Students have to apply for post study work permit as student visa doesn’t automatically offer the privilege to work and they have to apply before 180 days of course completion. The post-study work allows the students to stay back in Canada as a worker; unlike student visa using this they can work full time up to 3 years. Permanent Residence is the last step to stay back in Canada and you don't need to look back once you get PR, which includes the ability to live, study, travel and work anywhere in Canada as well as various social benefits offered by the Canadian government. A post-study work permit will also allow students to obtain valid work experience that may lead to permanent residence and is one of the best options for staying back in Canada. International students who have completed their 2-year course at a post-secondary institution and have 12 months of experience working in a professional position are eligible to apply for PR under a category called the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) of the Express Entry Program. There is another option to get Permanent Residence in Canada other than CEC for international students. The Provincial Nominee Program has special immigration provisions that will allow students to return to Canada via permanent residence. The new point system establishes foreign students and graduates ' eligibility to stay back in Canada and buy PR. International students who have completed their studies in a Canadian educational institution with a full-time program and who have been physically present in Canada for at least 8 months are entitled to live in Canada and receive PR visas under this scheme. An international student will receive 15 points if he / she has an eligible credential from a one-year or two-year post-secondary program in Canada to stay back in Canada. If they have completed a post secondary program with 3 or more years then they will get 30 points.Artificial intelligence needs the speed of light
The Physics department of UniTrento is working on all-optical devices for machine learning. The work is part of the Pelm project, whose objectives include the development of a cancer monitor. A non-invasive cancer monitor capable of monitoring the evolution of cancer tissues and therefore to provide information on the progress of the disease and the efficacy of the treatment. That is one of the devices that will be developed within Pelm, the research project coordinated by the University of Trento that received almost 1 million euro funding over a period of three years by the Ministry of Education, universities and research as a Research project of national relevance (Prin). Coordinated by Lorenzo Pavesi of the Nanoscience laboratory of the Department of Physics of the University of Trento, the project uses light to build innovative all-optical platforms for artificial intelligence. Machine learning processes, with which machines recognize images, understand human voice and carry out other basic tasks, have relied so far on microelectronic circuits and microprocessors stored on devices. These circuits are not efficient enough for artificial intelligence applications, use too much energy and this limits their use. The purpose of Pelm is to modify the notion of circuit to create energy-efficient, fast and non-invasive devices.Complete Your Masters at the Best Destinations in the Globe
There are lots of things you'll have to look out for when choosing a master's degree. Once you understood where you excel and have a rough idea of the career path you want to take, start searching through the options available to you. Make sure you check the entry requirements for the course. Some require certain qualifications (in most of the cases master's degrees require the applicant to have an undergraduate degree, and some will want this degree to be in a particular subject), and each will have kinds of expectations for the academic prowess of applicants. Here are some of the key elements to consider when searching a master's degree: Masters in Canada Considering post graduation from Canada? Attracted by the country's reputation for friendliness, beautiful countryside and, of course, its internationally renowned universities? You're not alone. Studying a Masters in Canada has become an increasingly popular choice for students seeking a high quality postgraduate experience and over the past few years the number of international students studying in Canadian universities has grown exponentially. In 1995 there were 25,000 international students in Canada; in 2011 it increased to 100,000. They come from more than 200 countries. Masters in USA The United States is a country that combines diverse geography and tradition with a reputation for academic excellence, making it a leading destination for students to pursue post graduation. It's a melting pot of ethnicities, nationalities, races, classes, and opinions. No matter what program of study interests you, you're sure to find something to meet your goals. The USA is particularly well-known for a large number of non-traditional options for pursuing a master's degree, such as part-time programs, online studies, and distance learning options. The US higher education system uses the traditional three tiers - bachelor’s, masters and doctoral studies. Although most master's degrees fall into the category of Master of Arts, Master of Science, or Master of Business Administration, many other specialty degrees exist as well. Admission to a master's program varies widely. Some programs will admit students with as little as an application and transcript, while other study programs require letters of recommendation and exams. Masters in Australia The country Australia consistently ranks at the top in terms of quality of life, human development, health care, the protection of civil liberties, and public education. Many International students have chosen a Masters Degree in Australia to advance their education and career. There are several institutions, both public and private, to choose from. The options for fields of study for a Post graduate Degree in Australia are numerous which include Business management, the Sciences, Media, Public Administration, Health, Nursing, Engineering, Architecture, Psychology, and Fine Arts, among many others. Students seeking a Masters Degree in the country will benefit from excellent academic institutions, expert faculties, and an international student body to facilitate and enhance learning experience. Masters in UK A Masters Degree in UK will be a culturally and intellectually stimulating experience. The country uses the traditional three-tiered bachelor's, masters and doctoral degrees and nearly 300 universities and higher education institutions are available for students. Enrolment to a master's program typically requires an application and proof of bachelor's degree, in some cases; they may also need entrance exams. Non-native English speakers will also usually be required to demonstrate some level of proficiency on an exam before they are admitted to a study program. The United Kingdom provides an extremely welcoming environment for international students. More than 430,000 students from 180 different regions attend UK higher education institutes every year. Take that exciting next step toward your dream education now!!Ulster University hosts cross-sector intelligent innovation workshops
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Hartree Centre took its Intelligent Manufacturing and Intelligent Innovation workshops to Northern Ireland for the first time in collaboration with Siemens, Invest Northern Ireland and Ulster University. The goal was to increase business awareness of the benefits of advanced digital technologies like high performance computing (HPC), data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), share industry knowledge, explore funding opportunities and stimulate new collaborations between the Hartree Centre and Northern Ireland businesses. Starting out in Cookstown and hosted by Invest NI, the first workshop focussed on local manufacturing companies and how they could potentially tackle industry challenges using the HPC, data analytics, AI and machine learning technologies that the Hartree Centre specialises in. Hartree Centre experts in various disciplines were on hand to provide one-to-one advice for individual companies looking to start out on their digital transformation journey. Next, it was on to the Magee and Jordanstown campuses of Ulster University for cross-sector Intelligent Innovation workshops to explore how businesses across the board can benefit from increased productivity through digitalisation, no matter their industry. At all three workshops, Hartree Centre experts were joined by collaborators Joan Mulvihill and Declan McDevitt from Siemens who provided a keynote on how digital transformation results in better, faster, cheaper products. Attending the workshops were 72 people from 49 different Northern Ireland companies across the three days, with 18 companies registering an interest for potential follow-up collaborative projects after the events.Protecting human rights at school is not a matter of opinion – A course on democratic citizenship and human rights education provided teacher students with knowledge and courage
How can teachers promote democracy in everyday school work? And what responsibilities do teachers have in ensuring that the human rights of all pupils are observed? Many professionals in the field of education do not have an answer or are at a loss when having to take a stand on hate speech or identify a situation where inequality occurs among pupils. A pilot course organised by the University of Helsinki in spring 2019 tested the inclusion of studies in democratic citizenship and human rights education in teacher training. Simultaneously, a material repository (in Finnish only) was compiled to support all teachers and others involved in education. Democratic citizenship and human rights education has gained traction in national curricula, but teaching the topic to teachers has been lacking standardisation. In a report by the Human Rights Centre (summary in English) and another report by the Ministry of Education and Culture (in Finnish only), both published in 2014, democratic citizenship and human rights education in teacher training was found to rely on the activity of individual operators as well as to be unanchored to a legal basis and unsystematic. Furthermore, the lack of a social perspective in teacher training was highlighted. Options for utilising the special pilot course are currently being surveyed. At the University of Helsinki, the aim is to also organise the course in the form of contact teaching and include it in the course offerings.Students join emergency services in simulated terrorism training incident
Nursing students have taken part in a staged firearms training event designed to give doctors and paramedics a taste of working in a mass casualty terrorist incident. Northumbria University worked in partnership with the Great North Air Ambulance Service and Northumbria Police on the simulated learning experience, which was being run for clinicians from around the country as part of an annual training course. Six paramedics and six doctors took part in the live training event, which featured dozens of casualties displaying signs of blast and gunshot injuries. They had been 'injured' in the simulated terrorist incident and had been given realistic, bleeding wounds requiring treatment. The patients were all played by student volunteers from the Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health who had volunteered for the experience. The training session was held at Northumbria Police’s Operational Tactical Training Centre in Gateshead. Several officers from the force took part in the scenario, using firearms and explosives to add to the realism. The students taking part in the session were from Northumbria’s Adult, Child and Learning Disabilities nursing programmes. They all volunteered their services after receiving a detailed brief about the training and were informed about the support available to them afterwardsUppsala University places 102nd in new world rankings
Uppsala University is ranked 102nd place among 1,400 universities throughout the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking of the world’s best universities in 2020. University rankings attempt to compare and rank a number of educational institutions in lists, often based on a quality perspective. Normally the universities themselves do not produce the rankings. Instead, they are compiled by media, government agencies and various organisations. Documentation for the rankings can come from various sources: -official statistics (national or from a certain higher education institution); -bibliometrics (analysis of the publication of scholarly articles and their impact); -analyses via the internet, such as in the form of questionnaires to educational institutions, students, and employers. -These various sources yield a variety of data, and different aspects (indicators) are weighed against each other and combined into a final figure that can be presented as a grade or measure of the quality of a particular university. The following university rankings are among the oldest, best-known and most recognised in the media: -Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings (THE) -QS World University Rankings -Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), “the Shanghai Ranking” These three rankings aim to include both education and research but focus mostly on research. That is particularly true of ARWU, which by and large focuses only on research excellence. Uppsala University has placed high on the list among the best universities in the world in the three major international rankings: ARWU, QS and THE. But Uppsala University’s ranking on the lists has varied somewhat over the last seven years, when it has ranged between 60th and 117th place.Sign language translator app created by KTU students aims to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing
Sign language is expressed through movements and position of hands and other body parts. Although hearing people often think that sign language is international, it has different grammar and lexicon in every language. Today’s market lacks systems that could recognise not only the sign alphabet but also other signs characteristic to the sign language. The first Lithuanian mobile app for sign language translation developed by Lukas Gužauskas, a graduate of the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) Faculty of Informatics, and Laurynas Bi?kauskas, a master’s student at KTU, aims to fill this gap. The app is also an alternative way of text typing. According to the World Health Organisation, over 5% of the world’s population – around 466 million people – have a hearing disability. It is estimated that by 2050 this number will reach more than 900 million. A smartphone for an easier communication The app created by the KTU students allows learning the international sign language alphabet. It has a list of sign language imagery that consists of 29 different letters of the international sign alphabet. KTU graduate Lukas Gužauskas, one of the creators of the app “We plan four basic functions available to the app user: a preview of the international sign language alphabet; a real-time alphabet letter prediction from camera view, recording text on the screen; and human language translation – from audio to on-screen text,” explains Gužauskas, a graduate of the Software Systems study programme. While using the app, communication between a sign language user and a hearing person will no longer require a piece of paper. The smartphone camera scans the gestures of a person with a hearing disability shown in their native language, and the other person is speaking. The app delivers both ways in a textual format. According to Gužauskas, the app has several settings. The first is the hand detection setting. The user can toggle between left- and right-handed usage. The other is the speed and accuracy of the prediction. According to the creators of the app, there are open source software based sign language translator versions in the market, however, all of them are designed for computer use. The aim of the team was to design the first app for a readily accessible device, a smartphone. A challenge turned into an advantage The communication with a person having a hearing disability can be challenging if one doesn’t know sign language. It is hard to understand for a hearing person because the sign language has a different sentence structure and grammar. “Problems are common because hearing people often don’t understand what the deaf person writes and vice versa. The sign language cannot be translated literally. Because of the hearing impediment, it can become hard for a deaf person to write a grammatically correct sentence, and hearing readers can get the message wrong. I have noticed that live communication with the hearing can often be too difficult for a deaf person”, – says Gužauskas, who has the hearing disability and knows the problem first-hand. The diploma project of Gužauskas and Bi?kauskas was awarded by Indeform company. The student says that deaf people usually have to use the services of the sign language interpreters, but they need to be booked in advance. Mantas Lukoševi?ius, a researcher at the KTU Faculty of Informatics and the supervisor of the final project of the students, says that in the process, he had also encountered the communication barrier. “They have turned a challenge into an advantage: knowing the problem well they created a tool for everyone. It’s great to work with students like Laurynas and Lukas. They went all the way from the idea to the final result. The students have identified and refined the problem they are solving and collected the necessary data – the images of the sign language alphabet. They have also done experiments with modern artificial intelligence methods that best recognise those images, and successfully transferred the trained neural network model into a smartphone”, says Lukoševicius. The beta version of the Gesture Alphabet Translator app is now available on Google Play.University to become a national training centre for NHS Blood and Transplant healthcare professionals
Northumbria University, Newcastle has been selected by NHS Blood and Transplant as a national training centre for organ donation.The University will now play a leading role in helping to train those working in this critical area, with hundreds of specialist nurses and critical care doctors from across the UK receiving the latest in simulation education training at Northumbria to boost their skills.An NHS Blood and Transplant service spokesman said: “We are delighted to be working alongside Northumbria University as one of our centres for both Specialist Nurse in Organ Donation training and courses for Intensive Care Medicine senior doctors. The state of the art facilities as well as the expertise of Northumbria’s staff enable us to simulate, in as real way as possible, both emotive communication scenarios and clinical situations that enable delegates to both learn and gain confidence in their skills in a safe and wholly supportive environment.” There will be a greater focus on organ donation next year with a law change in England. From spring 2020, organ donation in England will move to an ‘opt out’ system. It means that all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die – unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in an excluded group.Mental Health Day for medical students
Psychiatric residents of the Young Psychiatrists Section of the Latvian Psychiatric Association are organising Mental Health Day in collaboration with RSU and the RSU Department of Psychiatry and Narcology. During this day there will be a series of seminars about mental health aimed at medical students. The intention behind this initiative is to distribute knowledge, increase insight into mental health, learn techniques to relieve stress, and to help students endure long exposure to high intensity stress, as unhealthy stress can lead to impaired mental and physical health.Ulster University partners with Shaanxi University of Science and Technology to establish Ulster College in Northern China
Hundreds of Chinese students have registered to attend Ulster College in Xi’an China this academic year in an international partnership that will bring together the teaching expertise of Ulster University and Shaanxi University of Science and Technology (SUST). Situated in Shaanxi Province in Northern China, Ulster College opened this week and offers Chinese students Ulster University’s undergraduate programmes in the areas of Mechanical Engineering, Technology with Design and Computer Science. Courses will have a focus on practical skills, informed by research, employer feedback and professional body standards to ensure Ulster College students will graduate with industry-ready skills to secure a graduate job. Students studying at Ulster College will also have the option to complete part of their degree at Ulster University’s Belfast or Jordanstown campuses. The opening ceremony of Ulster College was attended by government & education officials as well as senior Ulster University staff. Since 2014 Ulster University has secured £7.6million in funding for computer related research for 84 projects across a range of sectors and prioritises research-based teaching for students. 90% or Ulster University's computing research has been rated world-leading or internationally excellent and Ulster is ranked in the top 10 universities in the UK for Electronic and Electrical EngineeringKaunas Architecture Festival’ 2019 starts this weekend
The Kaunas Architecture Festival (KAFe) is only held once in three years, which makes it one of the most awaited events this autumn. It’s not enough to call it ‘event’, though, as the festival will go on for two months and includes various workshops, exhibitions, walks, talks, books presentations and an international forum, Kaunastic informs. The topic of this year’s edition is: “Landmark architecture – creating or destroying the city’s identity?” Full programme of KAF’e will be published here. However, we would like to highlight one of the exceptional events organised together with Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) – Herithon’19. KTU, Kaunas 2022, KAFe is inviting those coming from architecture, art, heritage fields to re-think and activate heritage in Kaunas city. Digitizing, alternative mapping, creating digital platforms and transforming objects of architecture are just among the few options that can be explored at the event, which will take place at KTU Campus over the next weekend.Northumbria academic receives £1.2 million to deliver world-class forensic research
A Lecturer in Forensic Science at Northumbria University, Newcastle, has been awarded more than £1 million to develop a world-leading new technique that will unveil details to help solve investigations relating to unidentified bodies. Dr Noemi Procopio of Northumbria’s department of Applied Sciences is one of the second wave of researchers to be awarded the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship. One of UKRI’s flagship schemes, the Future Leaders Fellowships is a £900 million government investment fund that is helping to establish the careers of world-leading researchers and innovators across UK academia and business. The initiative provides Fellows with the support, flexibility and time they require to work on ambitious programmes of research. For Dr Procopio, the award of £1.2 million, of which £930k is funded by UKRI, will enable her to benefit from outstanding support to develop her career and to tackle challenging research in the field of forensic science. At present it is estimated that 1,500 unidentified bodies are present in the UK and 40,000 in the USA, and it is thought that these numbers could represent just the tip of the iceberg. Dr Procopio’s research utilises some of the most cutting-edge technologies available to address two vital questions that a forensic scientist is asked to solve a crime or to assist in the identification of unknown victims: the time elapsed from his or her death, which is known as the post-mortem interval of the victim and the age at death of the victim. Although several different approaches can currently be used to answer these questions, they have been criticised for their lack of objectivity, quantifiability and accuracy. This is largely due to the fact that the approaches are mostly based on the morphological examination of the skeletal remains and on the expertise of the forensic anthropologist who performs the analysis.INTERREG PROJECT "ATTRACTIVE TOURISM" STARTS
The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol and the University of Applied Sciences Salzburg work together with many partners from Bavaria, Salzburg and Tyrol to develop a cross-border large-scale project with an intermodal framework theme: the attractiveness of tourism as an employer. Modern and agile tourism means a central and measurable economic and prosperity factor for the project regions Tyrol, Salzburg and Bavaria. This positive development and the promising future for the tourism industry is based on top educated people, modern resources and sustainable tourism infrastructure. That's why hoteliers and restaurateurs are looking for people who want to actively shape and develop the industry. Modern and attractive tourism thrives on people who seek fulfillment in everyday life tourism and thus find fulfillment and satisfaction in this living environment. TOURISM AS GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT The splendor of tourism as a fulfilling place of work for the individual earning a living has experienced a clear and above all a social devaluation in the last years. In spite of those arguments that characterize tourism as an attractive field of activity, such as work in an international environment, enjoyment of people, global job opportunities or a crisis-proof workplace, there are also reasons why tourism is a comparatively less attractive sector for employees. In particular, employment in the hotel and catering industry is often characterized by irregular working hours, many night and weekend work, seasonal structures, an unattractive wage level, stressful conditions during peak business hours and staff shortages. PRE-WORKSHOP AS A BASIS FOR THE JOINT PROJECT The basis for the development of the project idea was a pre-workshop held in October 2018, in which interested institutions participated in order to submit their suggestions and opinions on the topic. On the part of the FH Kufstein Tirol, the representatives of the study courses Corporate Management, International Business & Management as well as Marketing & Communication Management contributed their technical input. As a result, elementary questions for the tourism industry were discussed, a solution sketch drawn up and a project proposal prepared and submitted. A performance report for pre-workshop is here to find. THE INTERREG PROJECT The challenges cover several topics: attractiveness and image of the industry, management and organizational development, knowledge management, employee qualification as well as structural change through digitization. These are directly related in a cross-border project. A targeted structure survey of relevant factors of employer and industry attractiveness should create a basis for the development of a digital assessment tool. The aim is to make the attractiveness in tourism (attractiveness of the industry, employer attractiveness ...) measurable and thus comparable. In order to reach a high coverage of the topic in the regions, joint workshops are held, so that a (cross-border) exchange of best practice and an individual transfer of knowledge can be made easier. The project objectives are accompanied by two congresses and an activating image campaign to create a long-term improvement of the perspective of "work" in tourism. Project partners are FH Salzburg (lead partner) and FH Kufstein Tirol, Chiemgau Tourismus eV and the Standortagentur Tirol. In addition, numerous tourism associations and tourism schools are supporting the project as associated partners. Chiemgau Tourismus eV and the location agency Tyrol. In addition, numerous tourism associations and tourism schools are supporting the project as associated partners. Chiemgau Tourismus eV and the location agency Tyrol. In addition, numerous tourism associations and tourism schools are supporting the project as associated partners.Coimbra Polytechnic is "Eco-Polytechnic"
The six Coimbra Polytechnic Schools / Institutes (IPC) were distinguished with the title “Eco-School”, making the Coimbra Polytechnic one of the first “ Eco-Polytechnics ” in the country, and the only one to have six schools that meet all conditions for the award of this distinction. The Eco-Schools awards will be presented by the European Blue Flag Association (ABAE) to ESAC, ESEC, ESTeSC, ESTGOH, ISCAC and ISEC in a ceremony to be held on October 18 in Guimarães, in recognition of the good practices that have come. to be developed for a more sustainable Polytechnic and Planet. The six schools of the Polytechnic of Coimbra have prepared over the past school year to apply for this award, completing several steps, such as setting up an Eco-Schools Council, conducting an Environmental Audit, outlining a Action, the creation of an Eco-Code, curricular work, monitoring and evaluation and the involvement of the school community, including teachers, non-teachers and students, and the external community, and developing activities related to water, waste, energy, and sea or forest. After completing all the steps, they were able to apply for the ABAE award and the results were now known. For Ana Ferreira, Vice-President of the Polytechnic of Coimbra, “It is a great pride to be part of this movement” and to achieve this result, in the year when the Polytechnic of Coimbra challenged the presidency of all its Organic Teaching Units (UOE) to prepare and submit your application. According to the official, this is the culmination of the work that has been developed for a “more environmentally friendly” CPI, with the implementation of a set of environmental sustainability measures in all six of its schools. ” One of the first measures was the delivery of glass bottles to the various management bodies of the IPC, with the purpose of promoting tap water consumption, namely in meetings, seminars and congresses, thus replacing plastic bottles. This measure was extended to the institution's workers and, at the beginning of the next school year, will also cover the new students of the Coimbra Polytechnic.CITYU NAMED 16TH BEST FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE FOR ADULT LEARNERS BY WASHINGTON MONTHLY
City University of Seattle has been highly ranked again as a top choice among adult students looking for quality education with flexible learning opportunities. In fact, the university has been recognized as being among the top 20 Four-year colleges for adult learners, ranked No. 16 in the category for the 2019 Washington Monthly College Rankings. “The Washington Monthly ranking is one that we are especially proud of because it demonstrates our commitment to providing accredited and flexible education to students who cannot put their lives on hold to continue their education,” CityU President Randy C. Frisch said. “We are a university founded on serving working professions with a desire to learn.” Washington Monthly, a District of Columbia publication, reported nearly a third of all undergraduates are twenty-five or older, yet no publication ranks colleges based on how well they serve adult students – except the Washington Monthly. According to statistics provided by Washington Monthly, CityU earned 4 points (5 pts. max) for ease of transferring, 8 points (9 pts. max) for flexibility of programs, and 5 points (6 pts. max) for services for adult students. This study defined four-year colleges as awarding more bachelor’s degrees than certificates or associate’s degrees. The final sample consisted of 1,136 four-year colleges and the top fifty rankings were shared. Full methodology details can be found here. “Having a survey focused exclusively on adult students allows CityU to be on the map for what we do best, serving the “new traditional” student,” Frisch said. “Our students love us for our scholar-practitioner faculty, who work full-time and teach. Students learn the most current information possible.”BSB OBTAINS THE “BIENVENUE EN FRANCE” LABEL
Only 25 institutions, including 3 Grandes Ecoles de Management, obtain this reference label for hosting international students BSB has just received the brand new "Bienvenue en France" label, which testifies to the quality of the reception of international students in French higher education institutions. Mrs Frédérique Vidal, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, awarded this label to 25 institutions during the Rencontres Campus France de la Recherche et de l'Innovation, at the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie. With ESSEC Business School and IMT Business School, BSB is one of only three accredited French Grandes Ecoles de Management. This label is one of the main elements of the higher education attractiveness plan developed by France. It is granted by Campus France on the basis of a reasoned self-assessment, in direct contact with the concerns of international students. The criteria observed: the quality and accessibility of information, reception facilities, training opportunities, housing, campus life and the quality of post-graduate follow-up. With the "Bienvenue en France" scheme, international students are guaranteed a national standard. The objective for France is to welcome 500,000 of them by 2027.Lecture by Prof. Kascejevs at annual meeting of the Department of Internal Diseases and the Institute of the History of Medicine
The traditional academic meeting of the RSU Department of Internal Diseases and the Institute of the History of Medicine will be held for the 17th consecutive year to celebrate the start of the new academic year. The meeting will take place at 16:00 on 29 August at Pauls Stradi?š Museum for the History of Medicine, 1 Antonijas Iela. The meetings were initiated by two RSU professors, Aivars Lejnieks and Juris Salaks, in 2003. The idea was to hold a meeting at Pauls Stradi?š Museum of the History of Medicine prior to the start of the academic year to look back at the twists and turns of the history of medicine. Over the years this gathering has grown into an open interdisciplinary academic meeting which gathers employees from the Department of Internal Diseases, the Institute of the History of Medicine, the RSU Rector’s Office, the RSU Dean’s Office, various RSU structural units, the heads of RSU clinics, representatives of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and other interested parties. Each year the meeting is enriched by open lectures delivered by invited lecturers. The Head of the Department of Internal Diseases, Professor Aivars Lejnieks, and the Director of the Institute of the History of Medicine, Professor Juris Salaks, will chair the meeting. The lecture is open to all interested parties.BURGUNDY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS HOSTS THE 27TH ENCATC CONGRESS FROM 2 TO 5 OCTOBER 2019
The most important European congress on cultural policy and management, on the theme "Diversity and sustainability in action. Cultural and educational policies and practices" From 2 to 5 October, BSB is hosting the 2019 edition of the International Congress of ENCATC (The European network on cultural management and policy), one of the most important events in Europe for the artistic and cultural management and policy sector. 200 specialists from all over the world, including the distinguished Australian professor David Throsby, are expected to discuss diversity in the cultural and creative sector and education. Hosting this Congress for the first time, BSB sees this trust as a true recognition of its expertise in cultural managementVMU to Host First-Ever QS in Conversation Summit in the Baltic States
On 14-15 October 2019, VMU will host the first-ever QS in Conversation summit in the Baltic states, “Enhancing Visibility through International Cooperation: Mobility, Recognition, Branding”. QS in Conversation is a unique international summit which is highly focused and discussion-driven, focusing on important current issues in international higher education. While focused in scope, QS in Conversation is wide in diversity and deep in substance, bringing together the leading thinkers and decision makers from around the world. This edition of QS in Conversation is the first QS event organised in the Baltic states, and it is the result of an international tripartite collaboration between Lithuania’s Vytautas Magnus University, Kazakhstan’s Eurasian National University, and QS. The Baltic region, which has a border with Russia and yet consists of EU member states, plays a unique bridging role in Europe culturally, economically and in science and higher education. Engaging with Baltic institutions is therefore a great way to explore opportunities in Northern Europe and Eurasia as a whole.INCREASING LIVESTOCK DIVERSITY CAN HELP PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING
An international team including a researcher from the URJC identified the role of herbivore diversity as major regulators of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in grazed ecosystems. Redaction The global population is projected to exceed 11 billion by 2100. Such an increase in human population would imply an increment in the demand of meat and dairy, resulting in a larger portion of land surface dedicated to grazing for livestock –over 25% of emerged lands is already dedicated to this. Pasturing is one of the most common methods for raising livestock, and play a critical role in maintaining food production, which is of special importance to developing countries. However, grazing by livestock can also result in multiple negative impacts for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, resulting in desertification processes. Because of this, “one of the most important challenges we face over the next few decades is to maintain a sustainable production of food for the billions of new inhabitants on Earth, while protecting the health of our ecosystems” explains Dr. Manuel Delgado Baquerizo from the University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) and co-author of this work.SMK Freshman Festival NEON fest'19
if you want to get to know the SMK community, feel and experience how SMK's coolest students really live - how they entertain, create, generate ideas and organize events - attend the freshman festival - SMK NEON FEST! Surrounded by forests - new friends, adventures, sports, neon fun awaits you at the recreation center "R?ta" at Bebrusai Lake! So don't wait, get your Neon fest image, sign up and see you on September 5-6! IN PROGRAM: "X Factor" winner from group "120" - David Charismatic presenter - Remigijus Grasshopper Artist - Vilius Popendikis The program is still being filled. More news coming soon! SMK Freshman Camps will allow you to stay in huts Festival Entry Fee - 35 € Participant Registration: http://inx.lv/JryAAnd Millions of Neon Lights in Their Tents Festival Entry Fee - 25 € Participant Registration: http://inx.lv/
Jryp All participants will be transported to the camp site by specially ordered buses from Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaip?da. If you wish, you can travel in your own car, but there is no change in the entry fee. The number of participants is limited and registration is open until 31 August. Further information: Email: email simona.banyte@smk.lt or phone +370 5 236 9160
ISEP Welcomes New Leaders to Board of Directors
ISEP welcomes Dr. Ellen R. Babby, Dr. Ann-Charlotte Larsson and Dr. Mark Salisbury to the Board of Directors. Arlington, Va. — Members of the ISEP Board of Directors elected three prominent international education leaders to join the ISEP Board for a 3-year term, effective July 1, 2019: Dr. Ellen R. Babby, Senior Fellow, Center for the Future of Arizona and a nonprofit consultant, has more than 30 years of experience in executive management in the nonprofit arena which she gained during her time as Vice President, Advancement & Strategic Alliances, at the American Council on Education as well as Senior Director, Planning & Development at NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Dr. Ann-Charlotte Larsson, Vice Rector for Innovation and International Relations at Linnaeus University (Sweden), is a chemical engineer with over thirty years’ experience in both academia and environmental engineering, which affords her a unique perspective on the critical role of student mobility and campus internationalization. Dr. Mark Salisbury, co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit company TuitionFit, most recently served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Augustana College (Illinois). His research on college impact, including education abroad programs, has been featured by The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed, TedX and NPR.Semester at Berkeley
Two young scientists from Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies TUKE succeeded in the call of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic for Investments and Informatization. The evaluation committee was engaged by their proposed projects and the scientists were given the opportunity to spend a semester at one of the world´s most prestigious universities - UC Berkeley in California. Ing. Michal Taká? Project plan titled: Výskum a implementácia nových technológií do informa?ných systémov ako podpora procesov v logistike a doprave /Research and Implementation of New Technologies in Information Systems for Support of Processes in Logistics and Transport/ Ing. Daniel Ma?uga Project plan titled: Plán mestskej logistiky pre riešenia mobility v Košiciach /Urban Logistics Plan for Mobility Solutions in Košice/Scholarships for Full-time master degree studies
Full-time master degree studies Call for applications for full-time master's degree or integrated studies at Lithuanian higher education institutions is now open The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania is opening a Call for applications for 50 Lithuanian state grants for full-time Master’s degree at Lithuanian higher education institutions for the 2019/2020 academic year. Funding under the Call shall be provided to the nationals of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the People’s Republic of China, Georgia, the State of Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, foreigners of Lithuanian origin, the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Ukraine. All approved candidates will receive a monthly scholarship of 380 euros for the duration of the studies. Only nationals of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Georgia, the State of Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, foreigners of Lithuanian origin, the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Ukraine in their Full-time Master’s degree studies will be covered for the cost of the studies, up to a limit not exceeding the national standard study cost.Participation in the EUROSTUDENT VII International Survey
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport has joined the implementation of an international survey, the EUROSTUDENT VII – Social and Economic Conditions of Student Life in Europe. Students have been able to participate in the survey since April. At the initiative and proposal of the Ministry, the University of Maribor has decided to assist in the implementation of the survey. The purpose of the survey is to provide an insight into the social and economic background as well as into other characteristics of the student population in Slovenia, thus identifying problems and obstacles students encounter during studies. The survey is aimed at collecting data that will enable comparison of the social and economic conditions of students' life in Slovenia with those in other European countries, and serve as the basis in developing national strategies and policies for the improvement of higher education in Slovenia.Plans for East African-German University stalled
Plans to establish a much-awaited binational university of applied sciences in Kenya fronted by the government of Germany have been put on hold, following a decision to draft a new concept document for the institution first mooted four years ago. The concept document for the Eastern African-German University of Applied Sciences, drafted by the Ministry of Education in Kenya will be shared with German implementing agencies including the country’s embassy in Nairobi, the German Academic Exchange Programme (DAAD) and proposed partner universities. “A new project concept note had been written, but the coordination process within the Ministry of Education is still on-going,” she said.“The German Embassy, DAAD and the future German partner universities await the new proposal,” the official told The PIE News, without disclosing further details.Once the document is out it will inform the next course of action in efforts to fast-track setting up of the model institution, Koos noted. The university touted as the first of its kind in the world was conceived as part bilateral of relations between Kenya and Germany to bring to Africa the German model of applied sciences in university education.UK universities see 30% increase in Chinese applicants
New data from UCAS has revealed that the number of UK university applicants from China has increased by 30% for the 2019/2020 academic year to 19,760, overtaking the 18,520 applicants from Northern Ireland. The UK is the second most popular destination for Chinese students seeking a university education abroad after the US, which is becoming viewed as less attractive destination due to new visa restrictions and warnings from the Chinese Ministry of Education. “The global appeal of UK higher education has never been clearer, with record, demographic beating application rates in England and Wales, and the steep rise in international applications, especially from China,” said Clare Marchant, UCAS’ chief executive, in a statement on the findings. According to the report, applications from within the EU and elsewhere increased by 1% and 8%, respectively. While many countries saw a rise in the number of students applying to UK universities, applications from the Nordic countries decreased, along with those of Germany and Hong Kong.CLAUDIA SAMPEL APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Since July 1st, 2019, Claudia Sampel is the new Director of International Relations of BSB. She takes over from Marie-José Albert-Batt, who is retiring after 25 years at the School. Of Australian-Brazilian origin, Claudia Sampel has 12 years of experience in the International Relations of the Grandes Ecoles de Management. Passed by EM Strasbourg (2007-2016) where she was in charge of International Relations, she comes from EM Normandy where she held the position of Director of International Development since 2017. Claudia graduated from Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck (Austria). " It's very motivating for me to join BSB today, " says Claudia Sampel. " My role will be to continue the international development of the School, which already has a very rich network of partners, and with a nugget like the School of Wine & Spirits Business, we have a very original and differentiating asset for to continue to strengthen ourselves internationally, and I must say that it is an honor to succeed Marie-José Albert Batt, whom I have known for over 10 years and for whom I have a great deal of respect and great admiration. "Seminar for freshmen ZGI 2019
For the tenth year in a row, the Riga Stradins University Student Council (RSU SP) is organizing a seminar for beginners at ZGI, and this year its name is ZE GREAT INVESTIGATION. Young students will have the opportunity to take a two-day study to get to know the university, gain knowledge about their faculty and study process, and spend their time with their new members. This year the seminar will take place on 24-25 March. so book your dates and go on an unforgettable adventure that will help you start your first year at university!Researchers probe cell division defects to gain insight into cancer
From bugs to plants to animals, for all living things to grow they must create more cells. To do so, each existing cell, whether in an embryo or an adult, receives cues to copy its chromosomes — large pieces of DNA that contain each cell’s entire genetic code. In a carefully and elegantly controlled process, each cell then divides into two. However, this process can also go awry. If chromosomes are not correctly distributed to the two “daughter” cells, the new cells may die or grow uncontrollably, a hallmark of cancer. In fact, up to 90 percent of solid tumours are marked by a condition known as aneuploidy, where cells contain an incorrect number of chromosomes. “It’s really important to understand the basic mechanisms of how chromosomes segregate in normal cells, and then looks at whether those mechanisms are different in cancers,” says researcher Mark Burkard. COURTESY OF UW CARBONE CANCER CENTER “We don’t really understand how chromosome mis-segregation happens in cancer,” says Mark Burkard, a medical oncologist and researcher with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Carbone Cancer Centre. “One of the big disappointments, and opportunities, is that we know all these other genes that are mutated in cancers, but no one have really found the smoking gun for how chromosome segregation goes wrong.”Vilnius University will create tasks for the International Physics Olympiad 2020
Vilnius University (VU) has become one the hosts of the world's biggest physics event for schoolchildren. Today the Cooperation Agreement for International Physics Olympiad implementation in 18-26 of July, 2020 was signed by the Minister of Ministry of Education Science and Sport Algirdas Monkevi?ius, VU Rector Prof. Art?ras Žukauskas and Director of Lithuanian centre of non-formal youth education Algirdas Sakevi?ius. The 51st International Physics Olympiad is expecting to receive delegations from 90 counties, 450 students and over 300 team leaders and observers. Therefore, VU is counting that there will be a need for 200 Lithuanian scientists, volunteers and organisers. “Next summer, young physics geniuses from all over the world will be visiting Lithuania. It is a great pleasure to organise such magnitude event. Together we have a responsibility to ensure the best conditions for Olympiad’s participants. I wish everyone good preparation, successful and interesting application of future physics knowledge”, – said A. Monkevi?ius the Minister of Ministry of Education Science and Sport. Young physicists from all over the world, will gather at VU for nine days to solve theoretical and experimental tasks prepared by Lithuanian scientists; and during the leisure time, children will get to know Lithuanian culture. VU rector Prof. A. Žukauskas claims that the International Physics Olympiad 2020 is extremely important event to promote physics discipline. “Lithuania’s physics is known all over the world as this discipline’s traditions in our country are reflected by our achievements. Moreover, every year in Lithuania a Physics Day – a celebration initiated by the students of physics – is held. I believe that the International Physics Olympiad 2020 is a great opportunity for pupils to talk about the importance of this discipline as well as to attract physics’ talents from all over the world to study and create in Lithuania” – stated Prof. A. Žukauskas.Students successfully continue to develop shock electrodialysis. The unique water desalination technology in such a volume is the only one in the world
A scientifically fresh method of shock electrodialysis, which could mean a major shift in energy and industry, was introduced by a student team led by Jaromír Marek from the Faculty of Mechatronics a year ago. They continue to improve it and are successful. The recent MEMPUR 2019 conference brought the students first place for their poster. The MEMPUR Conference - Membrane Processes for Sustainable Development took place in the last May days in Pardubice, it was the second year of the meeting of all Czech and Slovak professionals in the field of water treatment and solutions and the use of membrane technologies in practice. The students took the jury with an innovative theme “Dependence of Diluate Purity on the Set Parameters of the Shock Electrodialysis Cell”. The first prize was awarded to Jan ?ížek, a student of the Faculty of Mechatronics, Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies at TUL. Secondary school students from the Jeronýmova Gymnasium in Liberec, Ji?í Zlámal and Jan Korytá?, also work in the team that he represented.QS ranking places RSU among world’s leading universities
The latest international QS World University Rankings has listed R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU) among the leading 801-1000 universities in the world. Last year RSU was ranked among the top 1000 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings for the first time. Although RSU was already listed among the leading 801-1000 universities, QS data shows a clear improvement in performance over the last year and their evaluation rose to 75%. RSU earned most praise for its ability to attract international students and develop study programmes in English. QS World University Rankings lists the best 1000 universities from 85 countries based upon six criteria: academic reputation, reputation as an employer, number of citations, faculty to student ratio, the ratio of international faculty, and the ration of international students. Two other Latvian universities are included in this year’s ranking in addition to RSU.RSU: Medical students acquire knowledge and experience in cardiothoracic surgery
Practical courses called Insight into Contemporary Cardiothoracic Surgery were held for students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Senate Hall of R?ga Stradi?š University (RSU). The courses are organised by the Cardiac Surgery Centre of Pauls Stradi?š Clinical University Hospital (PSCUH) for the second consecutive year in cooperation with the company Johnson & Johnson and the RSU Student Union.Letters of appreciation handed in to LSMU students for participation in voluntary activities
In 2018/2019 study year the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) students were actively involved in the voluntary activities coordinated by the LSMU International Relations and Study Centre. The students performed the functions of Ambassadors, Mentors and Academic Tutors.The LSMU representatives gave the students Letters of Appreciation for their help, effort, warm cooperation and invited them to continue the activities next study year.IBS Employability Survey 2018
The results of the current survey are indeed exceptional: more than 78% of our students have found full-time or part-time employment in parallel to or immediately after finishing their studies at IBS; the vast majority (80%) of our graduates earn more than 300,000 HUF per month; 40% of the MSc graduates earn more than 600,000 HUF a month; according to our graduates, they significantly improved their employability skills during their studies, primarily communication, collaboration and project management skills;University of Pécs is among the highest rated universities!
The University of Pécs received an excellent score, a 4.5 in Overall satisfaction, a 4.5 in Student-teacher interaction, a 4.6 in Student diversity and a 4.6 in Quality of student life categories! University of Pécs has earned 6 Student Satisfaction medals!QS World University Rankings 2019: KTU’s reputation among academic partners is growing
The results of QS World University Rankings 2019 were announced today. Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) has kept a stable position and is among 800 best higher education institutions in the world. Several thousands of universities from all over the world are applying to be ranked by QS World University Rankings, however, only a small part of them succeed. This year, 1001 universities were ranked; 4 of them – from Lithuania. “To keep a stable position in the global rankings is always a good result. Especially, if we take into account the fact that more and more higher education institutions are being ranked every year, and in order to make it to the rankings they have to meet relatively high benchmark criteria. Naturally, we always want impressive jumps in the rankings, however, the efficiency is reflected in constant positive growth. The fact that KTU is gradually improving different criteria in the rankings shows our ability to focus and to priorities our goals”, says Lolita Jurkšien?, Head of KTU Performance Management Department. The results of QS World University Rankings reveal that KTU significantly improved its Academic Reputation criterion (+15.1%). This demonstrates the University’s successful partnerships with other higher education institutions while collaborating in study and research fields and developing strategic partnerships and joint projects.Almost 600 students, teachers and employees participated in the blood call of VSB-TUO
On June 14th, there is the World Blood Donor Day. VSB - Technical University of Ostrava has been organizing a blood challenge since 2016, launched by the Faculty of Economics. Today's time is erratic and having blood stocks is very important. In 2016, the University Hospital Ostrava made contact with the student organization IFMSA CZ (International Federation of Medical Students' Associations) asking for help with blood donation. She then addressed the editorial board of the Sokolska 33 magazine, which supported the project and invited its members and students of the Faculty of Economics to participate in the blood challenge too. Actions Donate Blood with EKF was attended by thirty students and teachers, among whom were not only experienced donors, but also people who came to give blood for the first time. The Faculty of Economics handed over the Faculty of Mining and Geology to the relay. Thanks to the Show what's in your donation, 116 people, 102 of them for the first time.Why does Professor from Loughborough University think that adolescence is the beginning of the end?
Students, PhD students, tutors, researchers, professionals of different specialties of medicine and public health from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University participated in the lecture titled “Adolescence: The beginning of the end”, led by a very famous professor of Loughborough University (UK) Noel Cameron, the best student of the father of international modern auxology James Mourilyan Tanner (UK). He came here at the invitation of a professor at Vilnius University, the head of the Department of Anatomy, Histology and Anthropology, and the chair of the Doctoral Committee for PhD studies in Medicine at Vilnius University, prof. dr. Janina Tutkuviene. “This first (and we hope not the last) meeting with a world-renowned professor of Human Biology Noel Cameron is a very big honor and a real pleasure to the entire academic society of our ALMA MATER. He is one of the most famous auxologists (auxology studies human growth and development) in the world and works at the widely known School of Sport, Exercise and Health Science at Loughborough University”, prof. dr. Janina Tutkuviene stated. “Noel Cameron is the author of a lot of books, articles, journals (more than 300 papers). He is the newly elected President of the European Anthropological Association (EAA). The next meeting of the EAA will be organized by our Department and will be held at the Old Campus of Vilnius University on August 26-29, 2020. So, we hope to meet with the professor again”. “It is my first time in Lithuania and I feel fascinated by the beauty of Vilnius and hospitality of its inhabitants”, the professor from UK said, expressing his sincere gratitude to prof. Janina Tutkuviene for her kind invitation and fruitful cooperation. He enjoyed visiting the Vilnius University campus and was really surprised that it had such a long history dating back 440 years. “My congratulations to Vilnius University! It seems to me that life here has a strong community feel. I found the students of the Faculty of Medicine very knowledgeable and willing to communicate. They are not indifferent to their own and the public health”, prof. Noel Cameron noticed. He thinks, that it is great to have such a University in Europe with a lot of talents of which to be proud. He explained, that Loughborough University (UK) also takes pride in its long history as an institution of further and higher education: “But we are only 110 years old”. Loughborough University is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England. It has been a university since 1966, but the institution dates back to 1909, when the then Loughborough Technical Institute began with a focus on skills and knowledge which would be directly applicable in the wider world. Loughborough was named University of the Year in Great Britain in 2019. In his lecture prof. Noel Cameron presented the idea of adolescence being a crucial period with marked physical, emotional, and intellectual changes, as well as changes in social roles, relationships and expectations. According to him, all of these are important to the development of the individual and provide the basis for health during adulthood. Establishing healthy behavior is a vital part of the lifecourse.Winningham celebrates 50 years of teaching at Rice — and 60 years of photographing it
Geoff Winning ham ‘63 found his place at Rice University through photography: first, as an undergraduate who dusted off his adolescent interest in cameras to become the official photographer for the Campanile, and later as a photography professor who returned to his alma mater in 1969. Winning ham is now the Lynette S. Autrey Chair in the Humanities, and in July he will celebrate 50 years of teaching Rice students everything from darkroom development skills to digital layout design. The shelves of his office on the second floor of the Rice Media Centre, a low-slung space with a pleasant amount of natural light, are filled with photo books from students across the years. He can recall, book and page, his favorite images and he shuffles through them with deftness and delight. It almost didn’t happen this way. After graduating with an English degree, Winning ham planned to become a lawyer. Without the influence of one Rice professor, Winningham could very well have added “esquire” to his name. Perhaps he would have pursued photography only as a hobby, like he’d done as a young teen. Gerald O’Grady, who died earlier this year, was a popular English professor at Rice between 1962 and 1967. He was hired away by the University at Buffalo, where he founded its media study program, but O’Grady returned to assist in the creation of the Rice Media Centerat the request of its patrons, Jean and Dominique de Menil, in 1969.Anyone can develop technologies – this is how the Finnish school system promotes the maker culture
Technology is what we humans make of it, says Kaiju Kangas, assistant professor of technology education. In Finnish schools, many things are done differently than in other countries. How many devices have you already used just this morning? This is how Kaiju Kangas, assistant professor of technology education at the University of Helsinki, usually provokes people into considering their relationship with technology. So, let's give it a thought: the alarm clock on your phone, the light switch, the coffee maker, browsing the latest headlines and social media entries on your phone, flashing your travel card to the scanner in the tram. Technology has inched its way into our lives without us really even thinking about it, something that Kangas wishes to illustrate with her question. As an expert of technology education, Kangas often gets to envision the future, but also to bring others back down to earth. As a rule, technology is very mundane and not something that comes about by itself; instead, we have to design it ourselves. But how can you make people realise that it is precisely themselves who have the ability to design and develop technologies? According to Kangas, this is where school plays a significant role. In the Finnish system, this role is different than in other countries. Finnish craft classrooms could be repurposed as maker facilities In Finland technology education is not a separate subject but a cross-curricular and multidisciplinary topic studied within various classes, for example in science or visual arts education. However, it is particularly closely linked with craft education. Craft is a compulsory subject to all pupils in the first seven grades of comprehensive school, in addition to which it is an optional subject in the 8th and 9th grades. This provides good preconditions for using one’s hands, experimentation and building. It is precisely learning by doing that resides in the core of technology education. Kaiju Kangas uses the term ‘maker culture’: people come together to work, making use of the skills of all participants. They cross boundaries, with traditions and modern approaches going side by side. The maker culture revolves around children’s own ideas. “Central to this is adopting a maker-oriented mindset; what can you do with what you know. My students, who are studying technology education in university, organised workshops for children, among other activities, where LED lights are used to create glowing Easter cards or dinosaurs with gleaming eyes. At the same time, the children learn about the basics of electricity and building electric circuits.” Craft classrooms where pupils can, for example, sew or do wood work have been a staple of Finnish schools already for 150 years. In recent years, they have been equipped with digital fabrication technologies, such as 3D-printers and laser cutters. Kangas dreams about having a space dedicated to creative activities as the heart of each Finnish school. Facilities that encourage diverse activities can be used for designing and making various physical or digital artefacts, playing games or just hanging with your friends. “Learning by doing has been a topic of discourse for more than a century now. What is new to this era is the ease that new technology brings. The collision of digital and material things engenders new opportunities, and everything can be shared online,” Kangas says. Maker culture supported by a flexible curriculum In addition to crafts, an established school subject, and appropriate facilities, Finland has two other assets in technology education. Firstly, crafts – and all other subjects – is taught by subject and class teachers who have a master’s degree in education. Secondly, the Finnish school system is based on the strong autonomy of teachers. The national core curriculum for basic education provides a fairly flexible framework, within which professional teachers are able to personally plan how to organise their teaching, enabling the freedom and playfulness that are part and parcel of the maker world. As regards technology education, the current situation in Finnish schools varies. Enthusiastic teachers can cover a lot of content relating to the subject matter in their teaching, but the range of skills and interest among teachers varies significantly. Today’s students at the University of Helsinki can choose to complete a study module in technology education worth 60 credits. “It’s important to also develop the skills of teachers already practicing their profession,” Kangas notes. Different perspectives benefit the entire group Currently, Kaiju Kangas is investigating children’s activities in co-innovation projects under the Growing Mind research project. She is amazed by the inventiveness of modern children. The groups of pupils monitored in the research projects have been developing fun everyday innovations, such as cleaner robots and smart sportswear that light up automatically in the dark. A range of thinkers and opinions also benefits the groups. Kangas still remembers a particular situation from years ago when she was writing her doctoral dissertation. For her research, she was observing pupil groups involved in maker activities focused on lamp designing. The groupwork mainly appeared to be on an equal footing; everyone was coming up with ideas and developing them further together. It was only later that Kangas found out that a number of the pupils in the groups had been individuals in need of special support. In creative projects, everyone gets to utilise their strengths. Diverse technological competencies needed in the future In her conversations with representatives of the technology industry, Kaiju Kangas has noticed that the interests of parties involved in the industry and technology education often meet. For instance, they agree on the need for diverse technological skills in the future. “The aim is to broaden the general understanding of who and which fields place value in technological competencies. The question is how to make young people who are interested in, say, global challenges notice that these things can be solved in technological fields.” As an example, Kangas highlights the efforts needed to curb climate change, something for which education in technology provides a good starting point. “Technology also engenders entirely new challenges. In future, we will need, for example, people specialised in solving questions of ethics related to artificial intelligence.” Kangas believes that visits to technology businesses in the upper secondary school could inspire young people to gravitate towards these fields. Technology is what we make of it While technology education could encourage young people to specialise in technological fields, Kangas perceives an even broader significance for her work. “Comprehensive school provides skills for life. Everyone benefits from the maker mindset brought to the fore by technology education, the opportunity to be the maker and designer yourself.” What vexes Kangas is the notion frequently expressed in public discourse of technology as something wicked prescribed to us from above. “Technology is what we make of it. We have the ability to have a say in it. Consideration should be given to the values guiding that work. Is technology used only to increase effectiveness or do we wish to create a humane world?”“Food for Thought” Scholarship established
The Morehead State University Foundation has announced the establishment of the "Food for Thought” Scholarship, a fund to assist students at Morehead State University in affording an on-campus meal plan to encourage them to complete their education. The first recipient of the award is Janessa Broadhurst, a senior music education major with an area of concentration in vocal performance from Louisville. The scholarship was established by Brian Gardner (93), who received his Bachelor of Arts in Government from MSU. The Louisville native went on to earn a Master of Arts in Communications from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1994 and he is currently the vice president of business development for Waites Wireless Sensor Technology in Cincinnati. Gardner said he recalls his time living on the MSU campus as a college student and his idea in establishing the “Food for Thought” Scholarship was to give students something more tangible than tuition dollars. “I remember being a student there. When you ate and you ate well, you appreciated it,” he said. “Maybe that student will have a meal and think to themselves, wow, this is something that I earned and it was part of my scholarship package and part of the hard work that I’m doing and just a reminder to keep giving my best in school and applying myself.” This scholarship was established as part of the Soar to New Heights Scholarship Campaign.David John Woods, a consultant pharmacist, educator, and researcher from the University of Otago in New Zealand paid a visit to the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University
David John Woods, a consultant pharmacist, educator, and researcher with a background in medical informatics, rational drug use, evidence-based practice, pharmaceutical education, and paediatric clinical pharmacy paid a visit to the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University from the University of Otago in New Zealand. For two weeks, students in the Pharmacy Programme had the great opportunity to attend a short course in clinical pharmacy that he presented. This was the second time that the tutor had visited Lithuania and the first time he had worked at Vilnius University. He came here at the invitation of Prof Vaiva Hendrixson, the vice-dean for studies at the Faculty of Medicine. The main coordinator of his visit was Indr? Tra?iokien?, lecturer in the Pharmacy Study Programme. Woods was invited to the Faculty of Medicine as a tutor for a 2-week programme for forty 4th-year pharmacy students. The specific area of the subject he presented was clinical pharmacy. It is a relatively new branch of pharmacy in which clinical pharmacists provide direct patient care that optimises the use of medication and promotes health, wellness, and disease prevention. Clinical pharmacists care for patients in all health settings, but the clinical pharmacy movement initially began inside hospitals and clinics. They often work in collaboration with physicians, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals. Clinical pharmacists can enter into a formal collaborative practice agreement with other health care providers, generally one or more physicians, that allows the pharmacists to prescribe medications and order laboratory tests.The enigmas of archaeology? These can now be solved using artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence can be used to solve one of the most complicated ‘puzzles’ which have occupied archaeologists since time immemorial, namely recognizing and piecing together thousands of pottery fragments which regularly come to light during excavations. This is the result of ArchAIDE, a project coordinated by the MAPPA Laboratory of the Department of Civilizations and Forms of Knowledge of the University of Pisa which has led to the development of an innovative App based on the system of automated recognition and neural networks which makes use of technology similar to that used in the investigative field for facial recognition. The project funded by the European Union under the H2020 programme lasted for three years from 2016 until May 2019, and engaged 35 researchers, IT experts, designers and video makers from nine universities, research centres and firms in 5 different countries (Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Israel and Spain). The goal of the App from the ArchAIDE project is precisely to solve these problems, as it was developed to be a simple and effective field tool. It will be sufficient to photograph fragments using mobile devices (smartphones or tablets), for them to be recognised and the data shared in real time thus creating an archive which can be used by any researcher, academic or enthusiast wherever they are.The cost of false science.The problem of the so-called "predatory journals" in a study carried out by the Universities of Pisa, Warwick in England and Aalto in Finland
Italian researchers and professors have spent over 2.5 million dollars to publish articles in predatory journals, that is journals which boast scientific standards they do not respect. The data emerges from a study carried out by Mauro Sylos Labini(photo) from the Department of Political Sciences of the University of Pisa, by Manuel Bagues from the University of Warwickin England and by Natalia Zinovyeva from the University of Aalto in Finland. These three researchers examined the CVs of 46,000 researchers and professors who participated in the first edition of the National Scientific Qualification 2012-13, the first stage in the procedure necessary to become a professor in Italian universities. The results of their analyses have just been published in the monographic edition of “Research Policy” journal, which is devoted to the theme of bad scientific practices. “A conservative estimate based on our study suggests that in order to publish around 6,000 articles, the researchers surveyed spent more than two and a half million dollars, an average of 440 dollars per article,” says Mauro Sylos Labini. “A part of this figure comes directly from the pockets of the researchers, but a part comes from their public research funds, and it is, however, an estimate which does not take into consideration the cost of attending ‘predatory’ conferences often associated with these publications.” The study reveals that, overall, more than 2,000 researchers, around 5% of the participants in the National Scientific Qualification, have published in ‘predatory’ journals. The scientific sectors most affected are Economics and Business. However, on the financial side, the misuse of resources appears to be higher in Medicine where some researchers have paid up to 2,500 dollars to publish one article. “The financial cost is actually the classic tip of the iceberg,” concludes Sylos Labini. “The fact that many researchers and professors publish articles in these journals and include them in their CVs shows that there are major problems in the evaluation of research. Our results, in fact, suggest that when this assessment is carried out by inexperienced researchers these articles may even receive a positive evaluation.”The University of Ostrava Will Open a New Research Centre for SMART Technologies
The University of Ostrava wants to focus more on the future of SMART technologies. In cooperation with research and non-profit organizations, businesses and public administrations, the University will explore their use in cities and municipalities on a more massive scale. The whole research, sponsored by the Faculty of Science of the University of Ostrava, is a response to the development of innovative technologies and the increasing requirements for their application. “It is without a doubt that modern innovative technologies will continue to be more and more important, whether in the area of company management, or in increasing the quality of life in cities and regions. However, a critical approach and evaluation of their actual usefulness are also required for their application. Therefore, the project is designed to examine the advantages of various innovations for their application,” says the main guarantor of the project, doc. RNDr. Petr Rumpel, Ph.D. of the Department of Human Geography and Regional Development.2019 COMPETITION: THE TEAM READY TO RECEIVE THE FUTURE ACTORS OF CHANGE
It's already late May that back oral admission, a busy time on campus Burgundy School of Business (BSB). For 6 weeks, from May 24 to July 3, nearly 4,000 young people from all over France are welcomed. The start of this intense month will be held on May 22 and 23 with the Cap'Oral Days , two days of preparation offered to which hundreds of oral candidates come to participate. For this, 62 admirers of the Team Admissibles are mobilized to ensure a high quality welcome, which is a hallmark of BSB (best reception eligible in 2015 and 2016, 2nd in 2017 and 2018, according to the site Major Prépa). Instill the values of change It is a question of allowing the candidates to project themselves in their future universe and to live all the facets of a School in which they will be able to give meaning to what they do. The time spent on the campus during admission exams is a preview of the "BSB student experience". Future students will thus be immersed in the "Lead For Change" philosophy - aware of the skills expected of an actor of change in a constantly changing world, with academic and pedagogical content offered to BSB, the values of the School, to his tradition of accompaniment, etcPre-admission to undergraduate studies at VMU ZUA is underway
Agricultural Academy of Vytautas Magnus University in 2019 At the time of pre-university admission, students will be admitted to the first cycle (undergraduate) for full-time and part-time studies. Entrants can apply only to places not funded by the state . Requests can be made both earlier and in 2019. Secondary education. University admission process The documents include the list of VMU pre-admission study programs and the structure of the competition score for those entering VMU in 2019. SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS Persons wishing to take part in a competition for a non-state-funded study place at Vytautas Magnus University must complete an online application and provide the following documents: An identity document (passport or identity card) ; A maturity certificate and its annexes or other documents attesting to secondary education (if the secondary education was acquired in 2018 and earlier); The completed form of the final grades of the semesters of the subjects , signed by the head of the school (if secondary education is acquired in 2019); Diplomas or certificates attesting to the success of international or national Olympiads and competitionsInternational Scholar and Student Conference ‘The Balkans In, On the Road or Out of the European Union’
On April 15-16, 2019 the Club of Political Science and the Department of Government Studies organized a two-day international conference ‘The Balkans In, On the Road or Out of the European Union’. During the first day, a group of renowned scholars, practitioners, think-tankers and students participated in a plenary session and two round table discussions on the internal political situation in the Balkan states and its applicability to the political processes in the European Union and on the external players and their role in the Balkans. The second day consisted of two round table sessions where selected students presented their research projects and discussed them with scholars in the field of International Relations, history and European Studies, thus bridging youth enthusiasm and scholar experience. Students were encouraged to publish their research findings. The conference was organized by students’ Club of Political Science, with the leading role of Tihana Toki? (3rd year student BA in International Relations) mentored by Dr. Spasimir Domaradzki (Chair of the Government Studies Department). The Conference was supported financially by the Lazarski Honours Programe, the Faculty of Economics and Management, UACES and PTSE. We thank our donors for the financial support of our initiative.France posts 4.5% increase in international enrolment for 2017/18
There are now 343,000 international students enrolled in French higher education, representing a 4.5% increase from 2016/17 to 2017/18, and a second straight year of stronger growth for France’s international enrolment. On pace for a new target News of the latest increase in foreign student numbers dovetails with the French government’s announcement of a new international education strategy last fall, one that established a target to host 500,000 international students by 2027. Achieving this goal relies on France welcoming an average of 5% more foreign students per year through 2027. The new strategy, entitled Bienvenue en France, is now backed by a newly announced €10 million (US$11.4 million) support fund from the French government aimed at improving international student services across French universities. Among other goals, the fund is intended to further expand English-taught programmes (ETPs) at French universities. This is an increasingly popular category of programming across Europe due to the ability of ETPs to boost the attractiveness of a study destination for students in a wider field of sending markets. The number of English-medium degrees in France has grown considerably over the last 15 years, from 286 in 2004 to 1,328 as of fall 2018. Of those, 1,015 are currently taught entirely in English, with most of those programmes offered at the master’s level. At the same time, the fund will also support the development or expansion of French as a foreign language courses for foreign students. The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation has set aside €5 million of the fund for proposals from French institutions seeking funding for ETP and French language programmes, and also for new initiatives to provide support and integration services for visiting students. The funding round will close on 2 May 2019 and is open only to institutions that are participating in the Bienvenue en France branding programme.INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATED CYCLE: INFORMATION ON INTERVIEWS.
INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATED CYCLE: INFORMATION ON INTERVIEWS. ISEP - April 2, 2019 - sthiebault On Parcoursup, you have finalized your file and confirmed your wish for the International Integrated Cycle of ISEP and you wonder when will your interview take place? Around the 12th of April, an email will be sent directly by ISEP to: 1 / invite you to choose the date that suits you best, between 17 and 26 April and according to the available places: monitor your messages, we advise you to choose it quickly! 2 / give you details on the progress of this interview. If you are classified: you will of course be exempt from maintenance! Final straight for the competition: good preparation!Special mention in the Hotusa Group's Talent Match contest for the project presented by EUHT StPOL students
The inter-university competition, which awarded the best ideas to face the challenges of the tourism sector, has highlighted the project presented by the students of the University Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management of the University Hospitality and Tourism School of Sant Pol de Mar (EUHT StPOL ) entitled EASY by Eurostars. The Talent Match contest , organized by the Hotusa Group, was held on March 29, 30 and 31 in Santiago de Compostela. Didac Barnés, Daniel Ubeda, Sofia Pestana and Nathalie Heljkoop are the students of the Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management of EUHT StPOL that participated in the final of the Talent Match 2019 competition , which was attended by the best projects presented by the 16 university centers registered. . The project of the students of EUHT StPOL, entitled EASY by Eurostars, consisted of an application designed for the clients of a resort to facilitate their stay. The jury highlighted the novel proposal of the project's functionalities, adapted to the demands and needs of the client in this type of accommodation and gave it special mention.Education experts from around the globe to meet at an international forum ‘World After University’ in April
On 4th of April, 2019 high-ranking politicians, professors, rectors and the best education experts from all around the globe will look into the most relevant topics that Universities are facing today at the international forum ‘World After University’. At the event, University representatives and guests will analyse the spread of Western university model to other civilizations and their interaction with different structures of worldview and knowledge. Keynote speech will be delivered by Jamil Salmi – former coordinator of the World Bank’s tertiary education program. Mr. Salmi consulted universities and governments of more than 100 countries. Also, you will hear John W. Kao from Univerity of Hong Kong, as well as UNESCO Deputy Director for Education, Stefania Giannini, which is a former Minister of Education. Other experts from England, Scotland and China are due to deliver their remarks. Among other disputable topics, experts and philosophers will discuss universities’ mission in reorienting education and economy in a way that would stimulate creativity. Moreover, the problematic issue on other institutions duplicating universities’ functions will be touched. During the forum, a panel discussion on university’s mission in the 21st century will take place, moderated by dr. Irena Vaišvilait?, who is an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania. Moreover, education professionals will talk about universities’ advantages and will try to define its position as a civilizational phenomenon. Also, some fundamental questions will be covered, such as: do universities are still necessary for public development and state progress? Or how should the university culture change in the modern world?Germany International Student Statistics 2019
Germany is becoming a very popular study destination standing alongside the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. Consequent to this high attractiveness the country has reached its long-term of welcoming 350,000 international students, by 2020, three years earlier in 2017. Here are a few statistics :- Free higher education: 35.3% of prospective students would choose Germany because of its free-tuition universities World-class professors: 29.3% of international students value professorship at German universities Countless job opportunities after graduation: 69.2% of international students would prefer to remain in the country and find a good job 374,951 international students were enrolled in German higher education institutions 2,842,225 students were seeking a degree at German universities Foreign students shared 13% of the total number of the student population in Germany The number of international students increased by 4.5% as compared to 358,895 students on the Winter semester 2016/17 Since 2009/2010 the international students’ community has grown by 53% (244,775 to 374,951)The National Super computing Center is expanding its infrastructure with NVIDIA technology.
IT4Innovations National Super computing Center VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava today officially launched the NVIDIA DGX-2 computing system. The system is designed to deal with the most demanding tasks of artificial intelligence that achieve peak performance of 2 PetaFLOPs. The ceremony was attended by the President of the Moravian-Silesian Region, prof. Ivo Vondrák, Mayor of the City of Ostrava, Ing. Tomáš Macura and Rector of VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, prof. Václav Snášel. The IT4Innovations supercomputer family is expanding with the NVIDIA DGX-2, which was supplied by Czech company M Computers. The National Supercomputing Center integrates it into its infrastructure, which is provided by a broad base of users from academic, research and commercial institutions from the Czech Republic and abroad. "Our main mission is to enable Czech scientists to access high-tech technologies. This new system will allow them to keep up with the world in the field of artificial intelligence, which, together with digitization, is considered to be key to the development of society. That's why we decided to buy this unique device, "says Vít Vondrák, director of IT4Innovations.Students presented LSMU in France and Finland
The LSMU Ambassador Programme was introduced in 2016 and seeks to involve international students into a voluntary activity aiming at promotion of the LSMU in foreign countries. The information about the ambassadors and their contacts are provided in the LSMU website as well as it is spread during the presentations of the LSMU in various countries. The LSMU Ambassador Programme involves 17 international students from 11 countries. Ambassadors consult by e-mails those who are interested in studies at the LSMU and share their experience of studies and life in Lithuania, participate in the University “Open Days” and international study fairs. A second-year student Emma Gonzales Mourier presented the LSMU at two schools in France. She shared her impressions of the newly gained experiences, “Thanks to the LSMU Ambassador Programme, I had an opportunity to tell French high school students about the study programmes at the LSMU. While this was an invaluable personal experience for me, it was also a great opportunity for the high school students to learn more about the LSMU and to think about their career choices. This experience boosted my self-confidence and, most importantly, I realized that I could contribute to making the dreams of young and motivated people come true.”The Faculty as an International Space Station, bringing together experts from around the world
INTERVIEW. Since 1 February 2019, the TUL Faculty of Art and Architecture has led Osamu Okamura, who wants to connect his new place of work with the world and with new technologies. The news server Libereckezpravy.cz has asked the new dean several questions. The editor of the server Tomáš Tesa? asks: So the key argument why you wanted to become a FA dean was mainly the history and achievements around the SIAL office? Hundred percent. In the area of architecture, I still regard Liberec as a very interesting research center. It is of course given by the people who have worked and worked here at school. And one of my goals here will be to strengthen this page and to invite top experts not only to architecture and urbanism, but also to modern technology. After all, I consider them another specifics of the local faculty. And at the same time something that really interests me. Read the whole interview at Libereckezpravy.cz ?University rankings: the University of Pisa is among the top one hundred universities in the world in five subjects
The results of the QS World University Rankings by subject 2019 have been published According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject for 2019, the University of Pisa is among the top one hundred in the world in five subjects, confirming its distinction in the sectors where the University has a long tradition of excellence: from the rankings the University is top in “Classics and Ancient History” (26th place), “Mathematics”, “Physics and Astronomy” and “Computer Science and Information Systems” (all between 51st and 100th). This year the University earned an excellent place for the new subject introduced by QS, “Library and Information Management”, where Pisa gained 50th place in the world.RANKING 2019: ISEP AT THE TOP OF THE PODIUM FOR THE SALARY AFTER GRADUATION!
ISEP was ranked at the top of the podium by L’Etudiant magazine (out of 174 institutions) for the criteria “Making a good living in information technology”. This underlines ISEP’s excellence, the strength of its engineering degree and its proximity to businesses and the professional world. U-Multirank shows: University of Applied Sciences Europe Iserlohn, Berlin, Hamburg is one of the TOP 10 performers of universities in Germany in the field of business Iserlohn, January 22, 2019 . The highly acclaimed international U-Multirank ranks the business studies offered by the University of Applied Sciences Europe - Iserlohn, Berlin, Hamburg as one of the best in Germany. Every year, the Europe-wide university ranking "U-Multirank" appears, in which almost 100 universities can be compared in Germany. The faculties of the University of Applied Sciences Europe ranked among the top ten business schools.Times Higher Education and Wall Street Journal rank SKEMA's masters highly
SKEMA’s Master in Management ranks 17th out of 30 schools (and third out of the French schools represented) and 11th out of 23 schools for its Master in Finance (first out of four French schools represented).BEST HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT SCHOOL IN FRANCE
Vatel Group and its campuses throughout the world have won the “Best Hospitality Management School” award in the 17th Worldwide Hospitality Awards, competing against 42 prestigious international schools.Ireland as a study destination
Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. Ireland has a mild but changeable oceanic climate with few extremes. The two official languages of the Republic of Ireland are Irish and English. Dublin is the most heavily touristic region and home to several of the most popular attractions such as the Guinness Storehouse and Book of Kells. Ireland is one of the few rare countries in the world that has managed to preserve its natural beauty despite its continuous progress and development. This makes Ireland a great study abroad destination for students who would like a combination of urban luxuries and the great outdoors. There are beautiful areas to explore, including the Cliffs of Moher and the Giant’s Causeway. Universities in Ireland offer degree programs in every possible discipline you can think of. If you want to take advantage of programs in which the country excels on a global scale, then pharmaceuticals, chemistry and technology are the fields to pursue. You do not necessarily need to already know English to study here – many universities offer English courses to help international students improve their skills. Studying abroad in a foreign country provides the perfect opportunity to advance your foreign language skills. For many students, earning money while studying abroad is very important. In Ireland, the government allows students to apply for a green card, also known as a work permit. Many universities also provide internship opportunities to help students acquire practical experience in their field of study. There is also a variety of study abroad loans to help international students finance their education in Ireland. The country is home to leading global MNCs. In fact, it is the second most attractive country globally for FDI - after Singapore. Many brands such as Google, HP, Apple, IBM, Face book, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pfizer, GSK and Genzyme have made Ireland their main office for European operations. Irish people are renowned for their friendliness and hospitality which greatly contributes to the ease with which overseas students adapt to student life in Ireland. Ireland's landscape provides a rich environment for the many outdoor leisure pursuits for which it is famous. More than anything, choosing to study abroad is just the beginning of an incredible and unforgettable experience that will be hard to match for the rest of your life. Ireland has a young vibrant population, with 40% of the population under the age of 25. Ireland is one of the most exciting places in the world to be as a student. Ireland is also regarded as a safe country to study and live in. The Global Peace Index ranked it as the 12th "most peaceful country" in 2013. Richness of culture, breathtaking scenery, and friendly people make it an ideal study destination for any international student.JUMP2Excel launches Public Lecture Series
The Joint Universal activities for Mediterranean PV integration Excellence (JUMP2Excel) consortium has successfully organised its first Mentoring week thus launching the JUMP2Excel Public Lecture Series. The first lecture, hosted by The Malta Group of Professional Engineering Institutions (MGPEI), was given by Mentor Antoine Guerin de Montgareuil from The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). He delved into the highlights on technologies developed at CEA and their potential application on insular territories. Guerin de Montgareuil also met with MCAST Energy researchers, MCAST Institute of Engineering and Transport members, and Maltese Stakeholders and discussed a vast range of topics on Photovoltaics integration. During this mentoring week JUMP2Excel Modular Training on modelling photovoltaic energy production was carried out, together with a presentation of MotherPV method developed by CEA.Impact of Globalization in Educational Sector
Globalization transformed the Globe in every possible way. Now the world economy which has become more inter-connected and inter-dependent. But it also made the Global economy competitive and knowledge based, especially in the emerging western countries. International education interconnects methods of education from worldwide systems to encourage the international development of environmental sustainability, as well as contribution toward fortifying global industries. These educational initiatives give access to school from the primary to the university levels, instigating learning experiences that prepare students for multinational leadership roles. As education giving foundation to global stability, the development of inter cultural awareness from an early age may integrate ideologies sourced from various societies in order to arrive at well-balanced conclusions regarding issues that surround the world as a whole. Globalization and education then come to affect one another through mutual goals of preparing young people for successful futures during which their nations will grow increasingly connected. With globalization a portion of the difficulties for information, instruction and learning will give the present students the capacity to be progressively comfortable with dynamic ideas and questionable circumstances. Data society and worldwide economy requires a comprehension of frameworks considering, including the world framework and business eco-framework. Globalization utilizes a comprehensive way to deal with the issues. The interdisciplinary research approaches are viewed as basic to accomplishing an increasingly complete understanding the mind boggling reality as of now confronting the world framework. It improves the students capacity to control images. Exceedingly profitable work in the present economy will require the student to continually control images, for example, political, legitimate and business terms, and advanced cash. Globalization improves the student’s capacity to procure and use information. Globalization improves the capacity of students to get to, survey, receive, and apply information, to think autonomously to practice proper judgment and to team up with others to comprehend new circumstances. Globalization creates an expanded amount of experimentally and in fact prepared people. The rising economy depends on information as a key factor of creation and the businesses request the workers remain very prepared in science and innovation. It urges students to work in groups. To most likely work intently in groups is the requirement for representatives. Working in groups expects understudies to create abilities in-assemble elements, bargain, banter, influence, association, and authority and the board aptitudes. Globalization removed the boundaries of space and time. By using information and communications technologies, the new system of knowledge, education and learning must apply a various range of synchronous and asynchronous activities that aid faculties and student in breaking boundaries of time and space. It meets the knowledge, education and learning challenges and opportunities of the Information Age. Knowledge based businesses often complain that graduates lack the capacity to learn new skills and assimilate new knowledge. Globalization makes it comfortable for businesses. It creates and supports information technologists, policy makers, and practitioners for the purpose of rethinking education and supports mechanisms for the sharing of experiences and ideas in the use of educational technologies.BSB LYON OPEN HOUSE FEBRUARY 27: DISCOVER OUR BACHELOR PROGRAM!
You want to join a Grande Ecole de Management after the Bac, to follow a training in marketing-communication, management-law-finance or commercial management? Come discover our Bachelor Marketing & Business program, TOP 6 Bachelors in France, on the occasion of the Open House of our campus located in the heart of the Confluence district, on: Wednesday, February 20 from 14:00 to 18:00 42 Cours Suchet 69002 LYON Link : - https://www.bsb-education.com/actualites/item/bsb-lyon-portes-ouvertes-27-fevrier-venez-decouvrir-notre-programme-bachelor-marketing-business.htmlThe University of Ostrava has acquired the institutional accreditation
As only the 6th university in the Czech Republic the University of Ostrava has acquired the so called “institutional accreditation” which confirmes its quality and it gives the university considerable freedom. It has succeeded in seven areas of education, by which it has covered majority of its study programmes. The university was preparing for two years for the whole process. It was needed to adjust most of the current university international regulations and to accept few new, to establish the Board of internal evaluation of the University of Ostrava, to set a new system of evaluation of study programmes, to accept its own standards of the study programmes quality and to prepare the specific application for the institutional accreditation. The new system of accreditation means significant changes for the applicants. From the academic year 2019/2020 the universities will be changing the existing arrangement of study programmes which were divided into study fields and will turn to newly accredited study programmes allowing specialization. So far only five Czech universities have got the institutional accreditation. The first one was the Charles University in Prague, second Masaryk University in Brno, then Palacky University Olomouc, university in Pardubice and the Technical University of Ostrava.STUDY FOOD SCIENCE DEGREES ABROAD
If you're interested in the chemical and physical properties of food during production and storage, then a food science degree can open up a range of related careers. Food sciences focus on the study of food, with an emphasis on creating reliable, sustainable, and safe food sources. Understanding food sciences may lead to important discoveries in food technology as well as the production and maintenance of a healthy food supply. Food science is simply the study, production and distribution of food. Improvement, preservation, packaging and distribution of food is the focus of a food scientist. Of late, people have become acutely conscious about content and quality plus nutritional values of food, giving a much needed boost to this field. All aspects of food will be taught as well as soil, plants and biotechnology and ecology and the environment, blending theory and practical. In the past, the food technology was adopted and discovered for just preserving and adding the flavour and colour into the food stuff. As deep as we are going into the dimensions of food technology, we require the experts and professionals in this field. The subject comprises of both science and engineering. Many academies and colleges in Europe offer variety of courses in the field of food technology. This master’s program in food science and safety is designed to prepare food science specialists both for food industry and the companies performing research of food products and development of new products. The food science program provides a lot of skills of research work, preparing students for doctoral studies. Guest speakers from Chung Shan Medical, North Dakota and Graz universities will enhance the curriculum of the program. The food industry needs specialists who are able to formulate the tasks of development of food products and quality control, and find their practical solutions, based on the latest achievements in food technology and food science. It requires food technologies and knowledge of biotechnologies. The course aims are targeting on preparing competent employees for sectors including sustainable food production, processing and agribusiness, in industry, academia and government. Skills & Competencies acquiring through a degree program • Healthy food – food additives, toxicology, food supplements • Biotechnologies – processes, management, optimization, improvement, technological processes • Food quality – impact on health, chemical hazard, microbiological hazard • Food safety – standards, regulations, legal acts, environmental protection Well honestly, who doesn’t have an interest in food, but you may be the one person who reads the ingredients label and understands what each word actually means! What better way to cook up an impact on your studies than learning abroad in top food science programs, complete with different food, sightseeing’s, people, and culture. What exactly makes food nourishment for the body? Get the scoop by earning a degree at international colleges with food science majors from Europe.For Students - BAFF Professional Internship USA Competition
The Baltic-American Freedom Foundation organizes a competition for a professional internship program that provides full coverage and a guaranteed placement in the United States. Students, postgraduate and graduate students from the last year's Bachelor's program are invited to apply. The Professional Internship Program will provide excellent opportunities for professional internships in various US companies, companies, or organizations. Program participants receive scholarships of up to $ 30,000 per year to cover accommodation, insurance, food and transport costs during the internship. More than 100 students and graduates from a wide range of Lithuanian universities have already benefited from this unique opportunity during the eight years of the Baltic-American Freedom Fund. This program is a great opportunity to gain professional experience, expand the circle of acquaintances, get acquainted with the culture and lifestyle of the USA. Applications are accepted until April 2 Link:- https://www.vdu.lt/lt/studentams-baff-profesiniu-stazuociu-jav-konkursas/VMU Chamber Orchestra organizes a charity concert
February 28, Thursday, 7 pm VMU Chamber Orchestra concert to support Kaunas Hospital House will take place in VMU Great Hall (Gimnazijos Str. 7). The whole VMU community is invited to spread the message about this event and to encourage each other, if possible, to contribute to a charitable idea. Link :- https://www.vdu.lt/lt/vdu-kamerinis-orkestras-organizuoja-labdaros-koncerta/How Studying Abroad helps you Launch your Career
Studying abroad is an energizing prospect, which is brimming with new places, individuals and undertakings and a totally new land. Accomplishing that graduate occupation is a commendable objective to have as a top priority and concentrate abroad experience can demonstrate significant to your future profession. On the off chance that we want to move crosswise over mainland for your investigation abroad, the way toward adjusting to new social, social and expert situations could have the key effect in your future calling. When you go away from your home country, you would leave a lot of support systems that you always relied on consciously or subconsciously. What's more, at your examination goal you would be compelled to tackle every one of the issues independent from anyone else. Regardless of whether it's making sense of how to agree to accept classes when your new college's enrolment framework crashes, or enlisting with a nearby specialist, to making a dinner sans preparation without natural fixings. You'll be always compelled to step up and take care of issues. This newly developed attitude will help you in your new job when you would be asked to finish a task independently and will allow you to prove your confidence in your abilities. Having an opportunity to live in a foreign country and perfecting another language are some of the biggest merits of studying abroad, particularly if you're from the east and studying in the west. Companies are more interested in employing candidates who are familiar with both eastern and western culture and language. English is the main trading language of the world, and being able to speak English can really make the difference when employers are short-listing for jobs. It may be out of line that direction of a language can have such an immense impact on your potential accomplishment in business; however that is how it is and - as the English state - in the event that you can't beat them, go along with them. Social learning is something that can be thought little of by numerous understudies and experts, however is by and by hugely critical to organizations. It is well known that studying abroad is great for graduate employability. From gaining fluency in a foreign language or earning a specialized qualification, to mastering soft skills, your decision to study abroad will definitely strengthen your resume. You might also have an opportunity to gain practical work experience during or after your studies, depending on your visa status and the country you are studying in, you might be able to take a part-time or full-time job or internship. Studying abroad not only helps you in finding a better job after completing your graduation but it also helps you in getting higher starting salary than those who did not study abroad. The recent surveys into earnings revealed that those who finished their studies abroad earned around $7000 more annually than those who did not go for international study. Career benefits for those who study abroad go beyond higher salaries and faster job placement. Those who study abroad learn new skills and have a better ability to adapt in rapidly-changing work environments and to respond to people of diverse cultural backgrounds, both of which lead to better workplace performance. A number of studies and surveys concluded that 80% of their alumni felt that study abroad experience gave them valuable skills to survive better in the modern job market and also opened a lot of new job opportunities.Record numbers from China and Hong Kong applying to study in UK
Record numbers of students from China and Hong Kong are applying for places at British universities, overtaking the number of applicants from Wales, according to official figures. Data from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) shows a spike in demand for undergraduate places from mainland China and a small rise in applications from the EU, despite fears over Brexit. The figures taken from Ucas’s January deadline, when the bulk of undergraduate applications are made, show a 1% decline in UK applicants, but a 9% surge from international candidates meant the total number of applications went up for the first time in three years. The number of applications from China and Hong Kong rose from more than 17,000 last year to 21,000 this year. In contrast, only 18,850 applications came from Wales, meaning that if those trends are sustained there will soon be more undergraduates from China studying at British universities than from Wales. Last year there were also more than 100,000 postgraduate students from China and Hong Kong at British universities, out of nearly 350,000 full-time postgraduates. Link: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/feb/07/record-numbers-china-hong-kong-applying-study-uk-universitiesThe University of Ostrava as a part of the World Para Ice Hockey Championship
The world's best para ice hockey will be seen in Ostrava in April and May. Eight elite teams of the world group will compete for the world champion title. The University of Ostrava is taking care of the educational activities that will precede the tournament. “In the recent years, Ostrava has become the city where the most prestigious sports tournaments take place. We are glad that we can support the elite world championship for para hockey players. The world championship can be an inspiration for the disabled people and also a guide on how to spend their free time actively and meaningfully. We have a long-term and systematic support of the disabled citizens through the donations to organizations which help these citizens,” said Mayor of the City of Ostrava Tomáš Macura. Link :- https://www.osu.eu/23236/the-university-of-ostrava-as-a-part-of-the-world-para-ice-hockey-championship/Service Quality in Higher Education: The Experience of Overseas Students
The environment in which Higher education institutions operate is becoming more open to the increasing international influence and competition and leads to increasing opportunities for international studies. The quality of the academic staff and study programmes are the most important factors in creating value for the student. Higher education quality improvement and development have been structured within economics, culture and quality dimensions into three levels – individual, institutional and state. The higher education of students has become increasingly internationalised, with an ever growing proportion of students originating from overseas. There is a burgeoning need for universities to understand what student value in their university experience. The institution concerned has a particular reputation in tourism and hospitality and a significant proportion of the respondents were studying subjects. Higher education institutions are becoming more aware of the effects of globalization and of the fact that the need for international work experience, as well as partially or fully acquired education abroad, is increasing. The factors influencing international students decision regarding the country and Higher education institutions and to evaluate students’ learning experience and satisfaction with their choice to develop suggestions for the improvement of different dimensions related to the quality and export of higher education. Responsive websites suit all platforms, from desktops to mobile, have speedy load times and provide comprehensive and visually appealing information. According to research by online marketing site all of these factors determine whether or not a user will stay on your site. Responsive design is especially important in the international recruitment sector, as it ensures that wherever students are in the world; your website will still perform at its best, regardless of the device it’s being displayed on. For international recruiters, securing strong and effective digital platforms is more than just a trend it’s a necessity. These sites are how potential students learn about your offerings, universities and courses– so make sure they can view the information with ease. Different regions have different motivations for studying abroad. It’s important to have a grasp on these differences before making contact with your various markets. International Recruiting found that the motivations of international students varied by region but generally fell into four categories: 1. To get a good education 2. To explore a different lifestyle 3. To achieve important things 4. To honor family These kinds of insights should deeply influence your marketing decisions. Recognizing that Higher Education Institutions compete through competitive advantages and high quality of services, evaluation of the quality of service is essential to provide information on the effectiveness of educational plans and improvement programs. The confidence felt towards the university and the academic program and the perception of evaluation techniques as a challenge to increase their knowledge. International study is no longer reserved solely for the wealthy. More and more students across the globe are choosing to enjoy the wonders of a new country while also obtaining higher education in their field of choice.Earn While You Learn
Many students work and study at the same time. Having a part-time job or summer work is very common in the Czech Republic. There are working options for international students as well and knowing the local language can be definite plus though not always a requirement. Many international companies operating in big cities, where your ability to speak or understand various language can be a plus. For searching job in Lithuania, you can start with the national daily papers and weekly job supplements that are published in the majority of Lithuanian dailies. Obviously, there are many other places where you can find current job vacancies. Language may be the biggest barrier for many foreign workers. Although use of the English language is on the increase in business and academia, knowledge of Lithuanian is a distinct advantage. Lithuania Offers huge amount of job offers for students. You can help to pay for your education by working part-time while you're studying. International students have the right to work while studying in Lithuania as long as they are enrolled in an Institution. For Non EU students, It is compulsory to hold a valid residency permit. The right to work applies to all students, including those who are in Lithuania for the first time, those who are enrolled in the first year of a university program, and those who are enrolled full-time in a language school. The Italian laws permit a student to work 4 hours a day and a maximum of 20 hours a week. Irrespective of your years of experience and personal profile, Generally Italian Companies look to hire you as an intern and the pay would be around 500 – 1000 euros. Student jobs are normally part-time, entry-level positions with pay, dedicated to individuals undertaking a higher education degree. However, this can vary much from country to country at Italy. French legislation now authorizes foreign students to work a maximum of 964 hours per year. In France there is a guaranteed minimum salary, which is € 8.71 gross per hour. Spain offers a broad array of jobs for international students who wish to work while they pursue a degree in any of the country’s renowned institutions. The students can check their university employment helpdesk for listings of jobs. Newspapers and job portals are another gate way to look for part time jobs in Spain. International students taking up part time jobs in Spain can work for hours per week and earn anywhere from €7 – €10 per hour. Most Finnish students work part-time at some stage of their studies. Usually, this means working in the evenings or during weekends at Finland. As a highly industrialised nation, Finland mostly relies on services and high-tech manufacturing which provide part-time job opportunities for talent straight out of university. Electronics is one of the most important sectors - and for better or worse, the country’s economic well-being is still strongly associated with the performance of its flagship brand Nokia. Student jobs are great ways to get your foot in the door at your favourite company with minimum wages being around 7.3 EUR/hour. Hence, it is possible for students to cover their living costs by working in Finland during their studies. Many of the graduate jobs can be found in Latvia. Latvia has got an enormous potential with respect to providing of the jobs. To work and study in Latvia for international students has its own challenges and one can prosper a lot while working in Latvia.Global business trusts us: Continental Automotive Lithuania and KTU became official partners
Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and Continental, a German manufacturer of technology and automotive components signed the official cooperation agreement. With the long-term agreement, signed by KTU Rector Eugenijus Valatka and Shayan Ali, Managing Director at Continental Automotive Lithuania the University and Continental have formalised the collaboration which has been going on for more than a year. The partnership will include solving technological problems, implementing research and development projects, initiating closer collaboration among science, studies and industry practitioners. “We no longer discuss the need for collaboration between science and business – it is the reality we are living in. KTU has been working in this direction for many years, and the cooperation agreement with one of the largest foreign investors in Lithuania is only demonstrating that we have gained the trust of the business. This trust is a crucial condition for a successful partnership”, says KTU rector Professor Eugenijus Valatka.Stockholm reporting continued growth in international student numbers
In 2011, the Swedish government decided to introduce higher education tuition fees for non-European Union/non-European Economic Area students. The number of foreign students in Sweden promptly declined and continued to do so until about 2014, when we first observed a modest recovery. A new report from the Stockholm Academic Forum (STAF) – a peak body made up of local government plus the city’s 18 higher education institutions – provides further evidence of continuing growth since 2014, with foreign student numbers in Stockholm now approaching 2011 levels for the first time since the new tuition policy was introduced. Study Destination Stockholm: Report on International Student Mobility, Stockholm 2017-2018 reports just under 10,000 international students in Stockholm as of the 2017/18 academic year. Those numbers have grown by 5% year-over-year, about 20% in total over the last three years, and are on pace to surpass the previous high point from 2011 sometime this year. Roughly one in four international students in Sweden is studying in Stockholm and so the report also provides an interesting directional indicator as to overall student numbers in the country.Long-standing dispute about North American prehistory
Pavel Flegontov,CSc. (University of Ostrava, Czech Republic) and his team have recently published an article in Nature that intends to put an end to a long-standing dispute over North American prehistory combining data and knowledge from paleogenetics and linguistics. Paleogenetics is a rapidly developing scientific discipline at the junction of archaeology and genetics. Due to the rapid progress in the methods of sequencing DNA extracted from ancient bones, as well as in the methods of genetic data analysis, archeogenetics is becoming an integral component of research in human prehistory. However, the study of relatively recent history (the last 5 thousand years) by methods of archeogenetics is, oddly enough, methodologically difficult, despite the abundance of bone samples and their usually good preservation. As population density increased and means of transportation developed, mobility of people increased. And while in the long millennia of the Paleolithic a dominant pattern was genetic isolation of small groups of hunters, then from the beginning of the Neolithic migration and population micture became increasingly common. Thus, in order to clarify genetic history of virtually any region, it is necessary to unravel a very complex network of population splits and mixtures, i.e. a graph. An example of such a complex region is Chukotka and the American Arctic - the vast expanses of tundra and Arctic desert, inhabited by sparse groups of Chukchi, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Inuit. For the first time the tundra zone of Alaska, the Canadian Arctic islands and Greenland was populated by so-called Paleo-Eskimos. This process began about 5,000 years ago with a migration of a small group of caribou, muskox and seal hunters across the Bering Strait. Then a succession of several archaeological cultures culminated in modern Eskimos, Aleuts and Inuit. However, archaeology very rarely can find whether the change in material culture was accompanied by mass migration and population replacement, or these were primarily cultural processes. Therefore, for decades, there have been controversies about the history of the Arctic peoples, about the relationship of Paleo-Eskimos and Inuit, as well as about the interaction of Paleo-Eskimos and native Americans who occupied the forests of Alaska and Canada adjacent to the tundra.Scientists from VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava are developing a monitoring device for greater safety of firefighters and paramedics.
Monitoring system for measurement, archiving and online evaluation of temperatures affecting firefighters is still missing on the market. "The SAM system – “Safety Ambient Monitor" is primarily intended for firefighters, mining rescue workers and possibly special army forces," says Professor Petr Novák from the Department of Robotics and adds: "We have designed a monitoring device that can measure the outside temperature impacting protective clothing, relative humidity and temperature under the protective clothing and other parameters to which rescuers are exposed. Such device is not on the market yet.” More information about the SAM unit, including a promotional video can be found on the website http://robot.vsb.cz/sam/index.phpLink:- https://www.vsb.cz/en/news-detail/?reportId=28945&linkBack;=/en/university/news/index.html
